Avon and Somerset Police see spike in drivers using phones at the wheel
This is one of the 'Fatal Five' - which is the cause of the vast majority of fatal road traffic collisions across the West Country
Last updated 5th Sep 2024
Avon and Somerset Police have revealed dozens of offences have been 'detected' amid their crackdown on the use of mobile phones at the wheel.
For two weeks between February 26th and March 10th, Operation Telecom saw officers catch 81 people... nearly double the number in the same period of action last year, when 49 offences were recorded.
It follows a recent spike in fatal crashes on the West Country's roads - and already in 2024, 11 lives have been lost.
While use of a mobile phone at the wheel is illegal, any driver distraction – including use of a handsfree device – significantly raises the likelihood of being involved in a fatal or serious injury collision.
Chief Inspector Robert Cheeseman, Head of Roads Policing, said: “A driver using a handheld mobile phone or handsfree mobile phone is four times more likely to be involved in a collision than an undistracted driver. Within Avon and Somerset, 33% of collisions in 2023 involved a driver that was distracted.”
Meanwhile, in addition to mobile phone offences, officers recorded a further 32 traffic offences including failure to wear a seatbelt and driving at excess speed.
Ch. Insp. Cheeseman stressed that poor driver behaviour is directly linked to fatal and serious injury collisions.
'There is an urgent need to address careless and dangerous driving'
He added: “Every life lost on our roads has a profound impact and the statistics we are currently seeing are simply unacceptable.
“In 2023, Avon and Somerset Police attended and investigated 54 fatal road traffic collisions, resulting in the tragic loss of 63 lives. Already in 2024, 11 lives have been lost in fatal collisions.
“The majority of these can be attributed to one or more of the Fatal Five: drink and drug driving, excess speed, use of a mobile phone at the wheel, failure to wear a seatbelt, and careless driving.
“There is an urgent need to address careless and dangerous driving behaviours.”
Road users who commit one of the Fatal Five offences are significantly more likely to be involved in a fatal collision than those who do not.
Avon and Somerset Road Safety Unit has recently launched a new driver training initiative called Raise Your Drive, which is specifically aimed at educating younger drivers about the Fatal Five.
Ch. Insp. Cheeseman reinforced: “We can all play our part in shaping attitudes towards road safety and reducing reliance on mobile phones while driving.
“Avon and Somerset Police remain committed to promoting road safety and will continue to conduct operations targeting dangerous driving behaviours to ensure the safety of all road users.”
Read more: Somerset Council launch campaign to tackle 'disturbing' rise in road deaths