Judging by the general reaction to the new legislation regarding using a mobile phone while driving there is still a great deal of confusion out there.
On March 1 new penalties were introduced regarding this act, and those caught will gain six points on their licence and a £200 fine.
Motorists with less than two years driving experience will get their licence revoked by the DVLA.
Yet confusion abounds, what if you are using your phone as a sat nav device? What if the road is closed ahead and the traffic is stationary?
What if a monkey is stealing your windscreen wipers?
All these points (apart from the monkey one) are handily explained by getwestlondon as we took to the car to get to the bottom of the matter.
As a guideline, here is what the government says:
- It’s illegal to use a hand-held phone or similar device while driving, or riding a motorcycle.
- The rules are the same if you’re stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic.
- It’s also illegal to use a hand-held phone or similar device when supervising a learner driver or rider.
- You must stay in full control of your vehicle at all times. The police can stop you if they think you’re not in control because you’re distracted. This includes if you’re using devices like your sat nav or car radio.
When you can use a phone in your vehicle
If you’re the driver, you can only use your phone in a vehicle if you:
- need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop.
- are safely parked.
Best advice is to turn your phone off and hide it away somewhere.
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