Last week in the House of Lords, Government whip Lord Filkin revealed that the Government will introduce laws to prosecute drivers using mobile phones on the move if it cannot change driving habits through a series of upcoming publicity campaigns.
Next week (April 30 and May 1) at Fleet News Drive at Oulton Park in Cheshire, fleet executives will be able to assess the risks of using mobile phones behind the wheel by driving a test route on a specialist simulator, designed by Fleet News Safety Award winner Andy Price.
The simulator will allow 'drivers' to proceed around a virtual Oulton Park uninterrupted, before asking them to complete a lap while answering questions on a hands-free phone.
'It's almost impossible to drive to the same level during the conversation, and a lot of people either cannot answer the questions or complete the lap much slower,' said Price.
The experiment comes at a time when mobile phones are high on the political agenda. Speaking in the House of Lords, Lord Filkin, said: 'If we are not able within a reasonable period to persuade the public to shift their behaviour, we shall have no option but to legislate. The Government's hope has been that enough publicity and enough common sense would remove the necessity for laws and regulations in all cases.'
However, he added that: 'The Government's position - and the Highway Code - is explicit on the matter. Hands-free mobile phones are also dangerous. The evidence for that, in the UK and elsewhere, is clear. There is a popular misconception that because you are not holding the damned thing, you are, in some way safer. In practice, it is the mental distraction that causes the problem.'
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