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Ministers consider draconian mobile-blocking tech in cars

Image of Neil Thomason
Author: | Updated: 15 Dec 2016 11:22

The Department for Transport is to consider introducing some form of phone-disabling technology to stop people using their phone behind the wheel, it has been confirmed.

Ministers are to meet mobile manufacturers and network providers in January to see what kind of options would be available. Ideas include introducing a drive-safe mode (similar to airplaine mode), or even using GPS to block calls and texts above certain speeds.

PhoneCharger_01_large

£200 fine and six points on your licence if caught using your phone in 2017

The announcement follows a report that showed two-thirds of motorists believe the government should introduce some sort of oppressive technology to help curb accidents caused by using phones, which account for 20 fatalities in the UK per year.

A poll of 1,000 UK motorists by Continental Tyres Vision Zero revealed a majority believe that all cars being fitted with some form of blocking device is a more effective solution than harsher penalties or more education. The reason? Road users revealed they cannot resist temptation.

How far should phone blocking go?

While driver distraction is a hot topic, this brings with it inherent problems – what happens if I’m using Google Maps to navigate to my destination? What if my passengers want to use their phones while I’m driving?

Reading texts, checking social media profiles and viewing emails is now more common than taking or making a phone call, meaning that as well as the evident distraction in concentration, people are taking their eyes off the road, with 46% of drivers admitting to researchers that they think it is okay to look at their phone when stopped or in slow moving traffic.

Of those that admitted to breaking the current law, 31% said they had done so in the last month.

Driver Distraction

“Jst stck in trffc lol”

Professor John Groeger, a specialist in driver psychology and author of ‘Sharing the Driving’ for Continental Tyres, said: “It is really interesting that motorists want an enforced solution rather than to curb their own behaviour – yet there is no such system currently being promoted in the UK.

“It is imperative that we find a way to resolve this as the ‘switch cost’ - the critical time it takes us to shift our concentration from a task like reading a text to again fully engaging in driving is so important in reducing accidents.”

One in three think the situation is getting worse and another 26% think advances in safety through new technology is being cancelled out by our unwillingness to put or phones out of reach.

72417vol-City Safety

Automatic Emergency Braking is becoming more prevalent in cars

Mark Griffiths of Continental Tyres added: “There are enormous strides being made in autonomous vehicle technology to deliver even greater safety.

“Yet our study identifies that we are unsure about allowing cars to take even more control of driving. But when we recognise our obvious failing in relation to the use of phones we do want technology to step up and save us from ourselves.

“It points to the fascinating, probably unique, relationship we have with our cars and how the development of technologies is reshaping that.”

Our hot take – be responsible and have some self-control. Safe driving is more important than checking a Facebook status update at the traffic lights, and the answer to a lack of restraint isn’t some form of police-state technology.

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