At the moment in the United Kingdom, you will find your licence endorsed with three penalty points if you are found to be talking on a mobile phone without a hands free kit while driving. The government is now considering raising this to four penalty points. This would mean three strikes and you lose your driving licence because the maximum amount allowed is twelve penalty points. The use of handheld mobile phones when driving has been banned since 2006 and those found guilty of this could not only receive penalty points but could face heavy fines too.
Despite the attempts by the UK government to crack down on handheld mobile phone use there has actually been a rise in the number of drivers involved in this activity recently. The crackdown did seem to be working in the beginning but recently people have begun to revert back to using their handhelds while driving. This is worrying because there is research which now suggests that talking on a mobile phone can make people four times more likely to crash. It isn’t just phone calls that are the problem there has also been a rise in the number of people tweeting on their mobile phone while driving; or even trying to write emails.
This practice is very dangerous and must be tackled sooner rather than later. Many years ago many people drove their cars after drinking but with the dangers associated with that activity there are not many people who would do this now. There needs to be a comparable shift in the way people view mobile phone use when driving. Especially as it can be just as lethal. It is highly likely that the government will implement these plans to increase penalty points if they feel that it will have a successful outcome. Hands-free sets are now easily available and are not prohibitively expensive.
It doesn’t matter what driving license you hold, if you are looking for a job that entails driving your future employers may want to check you have a license . Licence checks is something that should be taken seriously. Never try to apply for a driving job without the appropiate license because you will be found out.
