Our new road safety campaign has launched a new ad to drive home the amount of information that is missed by people when they’re looking at their phones.
Images
![Pink Kittens - mother carrying daughter steps out in front of distracted driver](https://www.think.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/think-pinkkittens-mobile-crashscene-150x150.jpg)
Crash scene
JPG
1.34 MB
![Pink Kittens - distracted driver looking at his mobile phone](https://www.think.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/think-pinkkittens-mobile-distracteddriver-150x150.jpg)
Distracted driver
JPG
1.18 MB
![Pink Kittens - children playing basketball and skipping in the street](https://www.think.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/think-pinkkittens-mobile-childrenplayingstreet-150x150.jpg)
Skipping
JPG
1.44 MB
![Pink Kittens - woman on spacehopper](https://www.think.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/think-pinkkittens-mobile-womanonspacehopper-150x150.jpg)
Spacehopper
JPG
1.34 MB
![Pink Kittens - pink THINK! logo](https://www.think.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/think-pinkkittens-mobile-pinklogo-150x150.jpg)
Logo
JPG
122.75 KB
Images
![Did you see the pink kitten? You miss more than you think if you glance down at your phone](https://www.think.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/THINK-mobiles-pink-kittens-game-giff-150x150.gif)
Car game gif
GIF
2.08 MB
Audio
![If you glance down at your phone for 2.3 seconds you miss 100ft of road](https://www.think.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/THINK-mobile-pink-kittens-social-pink-image-150x150.png)
10s animation in pink - social
MP4 file
7.89 MB
![If you glance down at your phone for 2.3 seconds you miss 100 ft of road](https://www.think.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/THINK-mobile-pink-kittens-social-blue-image-150x150.png)
10s animation in blue- social
MP4 file
7.87 MB
![40% of drivers admit to using their phone while stopped in traffic](https://www.think.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/THINK-mobile-pink-kittens-social-traffic-animation-150x150.png)
Mobile use in stopped traffic animation
MP4 file
6.01 MB
The facts
- Drivers using a hands-free or handheld mobile phone are slower at recognising and reacting to hazards.
- Research shows:
- You are 4 times more likely to be in a crash if you use your phone.
- Your reaction times are 2 times slower if you text and drive using a hands-free phone than if you drink drive, and this increases to three times if you use a handheld phone.
- Even careful drivers can be distracted by a call or text – and a split-second lapse in concentration could result in a crash. At 30 mph a car travels 100 feet in 2.3 seconds.
The law
- It’s illegal to use a handheld mobile phone or similar device for any purpose when driving. This means you cannot hold a phone or similar device in your hand to follow a map, read and send messages, make or take calls, use the Internet, take a photo, or change a music track.
- It is also illegal to use a handheld phone or similar device when supervising a learner driver.
- These both apply even if you’re stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic.
- You can use a handheld phone if you
- need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop
- are making a contactless payment at, for example, a drive-thru
- are parking the vehicle remotely using an App on the phone.
- You should wait until you are safely parked before using a hand-held mobile phone.
- If you’re caught using a handheld phone while driving, you’ll get 6 penalty points on your licence, a fixed penalty notice of £200 or a fine of up to £1,000 (or £2,500 if you’re a bus or lorry driver).
- You’ll also be risking a driving ban; if you get just 6 points in the first 2 years after passing your test, you will lose your licence.
- Using a hands-free device (for example, for navigation) is not a specific offence in the same way as using a hand-held mobile phone. However, if this distracts you and affects your ability to drive safely, you can still be prosecuted by the police.
The consequences
- You risk a driving ban
- Points on your licence leads to higher insurance costs
- Losing a job