Survey finds drivers still breaking mobile phone laws

Nearly three quarters of company car drivers still use their mobile phones while on the move and many of them refuse to use a hands-free kit.

Those are the shocking findings of a study carried out by fuel management company Arval.

After questioning 730 business drivers at forecourts across the country, it found 70% of company motorists use their phones behind the wheel.

Many drivers continued to break the law by not using hand-held units, despite the extension of laws governing the use of mobile phones in the recent Road Safety Act.

Arval’s head of market analysis, Mike Waters, said that the results of the survey should act as a red flag for fleets.

Clearly this is still a problem for fleet managers as drivers continue to ignore the safety messages linked to using mobile phones while driving and to rack up penalty points and fines, he said.

It is important to establish why drivers are continuing to use their phones behind the wheel and companies must realise that the driver is not solely accountable for using a mobile phone. If a business call to a driver is found to result in an accident, the company could be held legally responsible.

He added that the best practice for any company is to encourage drivers to take breaks when they make calls and listen to messages when they have stopped.