A new report has found that the proportion of drivers who admit to using a mobile phone behind the wheel has increased.
Measuring the actual numbers of drivers who use a mobile device while driving is difficult because unlike with speeding, as an example, it isn’t automatically captured or detected by speed cameras.
However, with new AI camera technology being deployed in trials by local police teams, that could be set to change in the coming years.
Experts have always said that the ‘true’ number of drivers who use mobile phones while driving is likely to be higher than figures obtained from surveys and reports, because that figure is simply the number of people who are willing to admit to doing it.
Still, with figures increasing year-on-year, a recent study has found that 15% of drivers surveyed admit to using mobile devices for activity other than voice calls while behind the wheel.
How Big Is The Mobile Phone Use While Driving Problem?
Interestingly, one in five drivers admit they regularly check messages and notifications while driving, with 12% saying they’ve either taken a photo or recorded a video behind the wheel.
One worrying increase is the proportion of drivers who have either watched a video, recorded a video or livestreamed while driving, which has risen from 5% to 9% in just one year. While the figure also rises significantly when just under 25s are taken into account, with 27% admitting they regularly use a mobile phone while driving.
In fact, the data shows that younger drivers are much more likely to illegally use a mobile phone while driving, with 49% saying that they have either made or received a phone call without using a hands-free or Apple CarPlay type set-up.
That means they manually picked up the phone to operate it, while 42% say they have made or received a video call while behind the wheel.
It’s clear that there’s a behavioural issue at play and as mobile phones have developed into the all singing, all dancing tech we all hold in our hands today, the law has been slow to catch up.
Back in the early 2000s, mobile phones were used almost exclusively for text messages and phone calls, with the occasional game or music able to be played.
Should Penalties For Mobile Phone Use Be Tougher?
Penalties for using your phone while driving are tougher than they were before and the law has been updated since the original Mobile Phone ban in 2003, but there are calls from some to make punishments stronger to act as a deterrent.
With new AI-powered cameras targeting drivers using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts in areas around the UK over the coming months, it could be that it goes the same way as speeding as a road safety issue.
It’s clear that distracted driving is a bigger problem than ever, and it means that fleets and drivers need to be hyper aware of other road users.
It’s why it’s so important to be on top of driver behaviour, which is where tools like Risk Monitor and Telematics Monitor can help provide a clearer picture of driver habits before enforcement or incidents become a problem.
