Careless Talk

From the BBC:

Driving while talking on a hand-held mobile must be one of the most widely flouted laws. Next week, motorists caught in the act will face stiffer penalties, but why is the message proving so hard to get through?

When the law banning driving while using a hand-held phone was introduced it was two hours before the first motorist fell foul of it. The only surprise for most people was that it took so long.

The sight of drivers with a mobile handset jammed between jaw and shoulder is still common. Few seem to care they're doing anything wrong and obviously don't think there's much chance of getting caught.


People are putting lives at risk just to tell someone what they want for dinner
Linda Hudd
Road safety campaigner
After it became illegal in December 2003, with offenders facing a £30 fine, 90% of drivers stopped. But compliance has slipped markedly.

Today, up to 10 million motorists - almost a quarter of all UK drivers - admit to still doing it, says to the government. Three million say they text while driving. The police are now getting tough. From next Tuesday motorists who are caught will pay a £60 fine and get three points on their licence.

Why? Because talking on a mobile phone while driving is worse than drink-driving and those who do it are four times more likely to have an accident, according to research.

Over-optimistic

"The problem with mobiles is not vehicular control and only having one hand on the wheel, but rather it is taking away attention from what is happening outside the car," says Dr Graham Hole, author of The Psychology of Driving.

So why is the potential for harm not getting through? Why are millions still doing it and how do you stop them?

Part of the problem is people are notoriously over-optimistic about their driving ability. While most accept driving after a few drinks impairs judgement and reaction time, a lot still don't think using a hand-held mobile is risky.

VOTE
Do you ever use your mobile hand-set while driving?
Yes
No
Results are indicative and may not reflect public opinion
Some drivers argue it's no more of a distraction than talking to a passenger, but experts disagree, suggesting that even hands-free kits - which are legal - are dangerous.

"The danger with a conversation on a mobile is that it psychologically removes you from the vehicle," says Cris Burgess, an expert on driving behaviour and the psychology of rule breaking.

"In your head you take yourself from the car and put yourself next to the person you are talking to. It's very different from talking to a passenger in the vehicle with you. They are aware of the pressures on you at any given moment.

Morality

"If you're approaching a tricky road junction, they might stop talking until you have safely negotiated it. Someone on the other end of a phone doesn't do that."

It's this abstract quality to the argument that hinders getting the message across, say experts. With drink-driving the issue is more concrete: knock back five pints and you won't be able to walk straight, let alone drive.

It's a more grey area when you drink less, but then most people police themselves because drink-driving has become morally wrong and is socially unacceptable. That's not the case with mobile phones, which is another problem for safety campaigners.

Man using mobile phone in car
Using mobile 'worse than drink-driving'
"If there's no internal pressure to abide by a law then external pressure is less likely to work," says Mr Burgess. "People are far more likely to police themselves if they think something is morally wrong."

And often it comes down to putting themselves or others at risk just to say something as banal as they are on their way home for tea.

Linda Hudd's 11-year-old daughter Rebekka was killed when a car mounted a pavement and hit her. The driver was using a mobile phone at the time to call his girlfriend. He was convicted, fined £250 and received six points on his licence.

"He had just left his girlfriend. I don't know what was so important that he had to call her just a few minutes later, but I know it wasn't as important as my daughter's life," she says.

Taboo

"Before mobiles were invented we managed to drive from one place to another without making phone calls. Now people are putting lives at risk just to tell someone what they want for dinner."

When humans change their behaviour they go through certain psychological stages. On this issue a lot of people are stuck in the "contemplative stage". Basically, they accept it can affect concentration but labour under the illusion they can deal with the consequences.

So how do you move people from contemplating to the "action stage" where they change their behaviour?


FINES ISSUED
2003 - 1,437
2004 - 68,813
2005 - 123,195
2006 - 131,857
Source: DoT

"It has to be a combination of the carrot and stick," says Mr Burgess. "You need to educate people to get them to personally police themselves. Also, the police need a clear policy so there is an increased sense that it is illegal, you will get caught and will be punished."

Police have been criticised for not enforcing the law on driving and using mobiles. Last year 131,857 drivers were caught on British roads and fined. However, if 10 million admit to still doing it, that means just over 1% of offenders are being caught and fined.

Traffic police and the government say they are getting tough with the new measures but campaigners are still sceptical.

"The changes are welcome but not enough," says a spokeswoman for road safety charity Brake. "We want a £1,000 fine and six points put on people's licence. They are serious deterrents.

"People also need to be educated, a lot are really ignorant about the dangers."