News

28 August 2008
POLICE CHIEFS CONCERNED MOTORISTS NOT GETTING THE MESSAGE

After a 24-hour campaign by Scottish police forces targeting motorists using their mobile phones whilst driving, senior police chiefs are not happy that only few seem to be listening to the message.

All day Wednesday through to early Thursday morning, police officers throughout the country stopped 313 motorists whose driving patterns were affected by using their mobile phone – down from 324 motorists caught during the last ACPOS-led mobile phone day of action campaign in February.

“While we are happy that some motorists have stopped using their mobile phone when driving after realising that their driving performance can be impaired, we are very concerned with the number of motorists who continue to flout the law,” said Chief Superintendent Michael McCormick, ACPOS Portfolio lead for Casualty Reduction for the ACPOS Road Policing Business Area.

The Scottish Police Service is particularly concerned with the longer-term trend as figures from the two one-day campaigns in 2008 are triple and double the numbers from 2007. [February (109); August (174)]

“These figures are one-day snapshots that we use to remind motorists that it is against the law to use a mobile phone whilst driving,” he said. “Our officers are on the roads 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year enforcing road traffic safety laws for the benefit of all road users.

“If you use your mobile phone whilst driving, we will catch you and it is not a case of ‘if’.  When we do, you will suffer the consequences,” Mr. McCormick concluded.  “Don’t risk it!”