Using a handheld mobile phone while behind the wheel of a car is a controversial and incredibly dangerous issue, one which the Prime Minister herself has pledged to make as socially unacceptable as drink-driving. The RAC even runs its own campaign on the issue which you might have heard of, called Be Phone Smart.
The penalty for being caught using a hand-held device while driving has been increased since the law was introduced in 2003. It was originally just £30. Today, it is a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200, and six penalty points on your licence.
Absolutely. The changes effectively mean that if a new driver (someone who has held a licence for less than two years) is caught using a hand-held device behind the wheel, they will lose their licence. Drivers are only allowed to clock up six penalty points in their first two years of driving, rather than the normal 12.
More experienced motorists can lose their licence if they receive 12 points in a three-year period – so just two mobile phone incidents under the new law.
Also if the police feel it is a particularly extreme example of using a mobile phone behind the wheel, the driver could be taken to court. Here, the maximum fine is £2,000, and guilty drivers could face disqualification.
Motorists involved in an accident caused by using a hand-held device behind the wheel face stiff penalties as well. For example, the government is considering increasing the penalty for causing death by dangerous or careless driving from 14 years to life imprisonment. A two-year driving ban is also obligatory.
Tailgating is a dangerous habit which involves a driver travelling too closely to the vehicle in front – making it unlikely they’d be able to avoid a collision if the driver were to brake quickly.
It’s often used by vehicles travelling at faster speeds, to encourage drivers to pull out of their way, and puts both parties in danger.
Tailgating means you’re not keeping a safe distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front.
Tailgating falls under the careless driving offence and could land you with a £100 charge and three penalty points on your licence.
In the worst cases, tailgating can result in a driving ban or even a prison sentence if a serious collision occurs as a result.
Here are dos:
•Try to stay calm. Drivers getting angry over tailgating incidents is a common cause of road rage.
•Assess your speed. Are you driving too slowly in the outside lane? If so, move over as soon as it is safe to do so.
•Look at your own driving habits and brush up on your Highway Code if you are regularly being tailgated. Ensure you aren’t also at fault.
•Do your best to make a dangerous situation as safe as possible
Here's a don't list:
* Don't police the road to teach a tailgater a lesson or be tempted to drive well under the speed limit or repeatedly touch your brakes to make your point – this only increases the risk of a collision
* Try to stay calm and always stick to the speed limit. If you are on a dual carriageway pull in and let them pass when safe to do so and if you are on a single carriageway continue at an appropriate speed or pull over somewhere safe and let the person behind pass if they are persistent, it's not worth breaking the law or getting into an accident over.
Its still insured so must be on the road. Watch out, hes no MOT so probably has no working brakes or looking at the previous MOT has faulty tyres.