Driving and mobile phones

Is it illegal to use a mobile phone when driving?

It is not specifically illegal to use a mobile phone when you are driving. It is illegal to do anything that prevents giving driving due care or attention, and that can include making or receiving a phone call.

What about the new law that bans mobiles when driving?

New regulations effective from 1st December 2003 set out specific rules about what you are not allowed to do. Basically, the regulations say that you can use a phone when driving (or when supervising a learner driver) only if you can make or receive the call without having to hold the phone.

You are allowed to press a button, or to use a wired headset, but not allowed to hold the phone for any part of the call. Note that the same regulations apply to texting or internet access as well as to voice calls.

The best solution is to use a full car kit (a BlueTooth one is easiest if your handset supports BlueTooth), but a simply "personal hands free" unit is OK, as long as the handset is not held. You can buy a cheap phone holder, or even use sticky-backed velcro strips to affix the phone to a convenient part of the dashboard.

Just because the law does not exclude an action, that doesn't make it safe. There are many distractions available in cars, including passengers, car radios, scenery or outside events. It is all too common for the scene of a motorway crash to distract drivers passing the other way so badly that there is another crash on the other carriageway. Allowing yourself to be distracted is dangerous and illegal.

Whenever you make or receive a phone call, be sure you are in a position to give your attention to the primary task of driving. Some people feel better able to do this than others. If in doubt, don't use the phone, or stop the vehicle first.

Go handsfree

If you do plan to use your mobile phone when driving, you really should use a handsfree unit. There are several sorts to choose from.

The simplest are an earpiece and microphone on a lead that plugs into the mobile phone. These often come with new phones, or are available inexpensively.

You can pay more and get a proper headset with a boom microphone, a unit that plugs into the cigar lighter socket and the phone, or have a full handsfree car kit, which uses a loudspeaker and sensitive microphone to allow you to talk to thin air! Some of these also connect the phone to an external antenna, which can improve the signal and so the reliability of calls. See the Accessories page of the Buyers guide section for more information.

Give one a try! Handsfree isn't just safer, but it's also more convenient.

Be Prepared

A little preparation can make a call to or from a vehicle more convenient and safe.

Make sure that your phone is in a convenient place so you can reach it easily, with any handsfree attachments ready in advance.

When making calls, make full use of pre-stored phone numbers, or voice dialling if your handset supports it. Orange users used to have the option of using Wildfire, which is a computer-simulated personal assistant, who dials numbers from voice instructions, but it is no longer available. A replacement is supposed to be in development.

When receiving calls, be prepared to send the call to your answer phone if driving conditions make it less than safe to take the call.

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