IAM: drivers need to be educated on risks of using phones while driving
Posted by Susannah Mayers
Motorists who may be obeying the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 by using their car lights properly are still breaking other laws by using their mobile phones while driving, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has suggested.
According to the Department for Transport, drivers who use a mobile phone while on the road are four times more likely to crash.
Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM, said: "It is clear that, despite wide publicity on the risks, people are still choosing to ignore advice and use their phones in their cars."
He went on to say that drivers need to be educated about how and why driving while using a phone without a hands-free kit is so dangerous.
Research published late last year revealed that the proportion of drivers observed using hand-held mobile phones whilst driving increased from 1.1 per cent in 2008 to 1.4 per cent in 2009.
