A new road safety campaign to further reduce mobile users at the wheel has been launched. Based in Scotland, the campaign could be a useful tool to bring to the rest of the UK. Despite the change to the law bringing more points and higher fines, drivers are still taking risks, using mobiles while driving.
Looks can kill
The simple message “looks can kill” reminds drivers a moment away from the screen can have severe consequences. Cars brake and adapt their speed as they go. The faster the speed, the less time to react.
One example from the campaign is of a text reading;
“Right now the truck in front of you is braking”
The time it would take to read the message and look up could be fatal. Any braking vehicle in front will often only give a driver a few brief moments of response time. After this, a high speed collision is likely. From there, it is almost impossible to tell what damage would be caused.
Staggering research
The campaign has been inspired by research which suggests 30% of research participants have witnessed social media usage from those driving. The research also pointed towards 20% of participants witnessing other drivers take selfies behind the wheel.
68% had witnessed others texting and 89% had seen drivers talking via a handset. This is surprisingly high especially with tougher repercussions now in place. Scottish Transport Minister Humza Yousaf spoke to the press about the campaign, saying:
“The consequences of using mobile phones for either making calls or for social media are all too apparent. The Scottish Government is committed, through Scotland’s Road Safety Framework, to achieving safer road travel in Scotland. I have said many times before that one death on Scotland’s roads is one too many and we will continue to try to make the roads as safe as they possibly can be for all road users.”
“Any activity which takes a driver’s concentration away from the driving task is potentially dangerous and we encourage everyone to acknowledge driving as a skill which requires concentration and judgment. I urge all drivers to avoid using mobile phones when behind the wheel.”
Consequences
If you are on the road with a careless driver, you are entitled to legal protection. Despite punishments already existing, those punishments do not cover personal injuries and property damage. For this, firms like Scott Rees & Co are here to protect you.
There is no excuse for careless driving. In the event you, a family member or friend has suffered injury because of a driver being unable to react in time, you can seek professional assistance. Scott Rees & Co has been helping injured road accident victims for over 25 years.
We have a wide network of specialists across the country able to help deal with the aftermath of injury. We offer all of this on a simple no win no fee basis. This means if your claim is unsuccessful, then you won’t have to pay a penny.
If you or anybody you know could benefit from a no win no fee claim following an incident, call Scott Rees & Co on 01695 722 222. One of our expert case handlers can advise you on your best options moving forward. Alternatively you can also fill in our online claim form here. From there we can assess your options and call you back when it is convenient for you.
Images:
1. Transport Scotland; Twitter; https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DDPG1adWAAAXKl3.jpg