Can I drive while using a walkie talkie?

On February 1, 2008, The THINK! The mobile phone campaign was launched.

On February 27, 2007, the sanction for using the telephone in the hand while driving came into force. The fine was increased from £30 to £60 and three penalty points on his licence. Having high penalty points could result in increased insurance costs. If you score six points within two years of passing your exam, your license will be revoked and you will have to retake the exam. You could also risk a maximum fine of £1,000, which increases to £2,500 for the driver of a bus, coach or HGV.

If you are not in full control of your vehicle when using a hands-free mobile device, you can be prosecuted for this as well. The penalties are the same: a £60 fine and three points on your license.

Employers are also not forgiven, they are not allowed to require their staff to make/receive calls while driving; it is now an offense to cause or allow the use of a handheld mobile phone while driving. It is also a crime to cause or allow a driver to not have proper control of a vehicle.

You may have seen the ad where husband and wife are talking on the phone and an accident happens while they are talking. If you’re calling someone and you’re driving, cancel the call and talk to them later at a more convenient time.

Why did the sanctions go up?

Research has shown that it is difficult to do two things at once and if you are using a mobile phone while driving you are four times more likely to be in an accident.

Surprisingly, research has shown that your reaction time is worse when using any type of mobile device than when driving under the influence of alcohol! (in the legal limit). Their reaction times when using a handheld mobile device are 50% slower compared to normal driving and 30% slower compared to being drunk (Direct Line Mobile Phone Report 2002).

There are many distractions that could be due to the mobile phone:

• Visual
• hall
• Mental
• Physical

Are there any exceptions to the prohibition on using a mobile phone while driving?

Yes, there are exceptions to the penalty for using a portable device while driving. A driver can call 999 or 112 in response to a real emergency.

Two-way radios/walkie talkies are not covered by this offense, but other devices for sending or receiving data are included if held while driving, for example, a PDA, Blackberry, or similar device.