Police officer calls selfish mobile phone driver's excuse "unbelievable"

A driver whom was stopped by police on the A27 saw 'no issue with using his phone, as long as it's only google maps you are using'.

According to https://www.worthingherald.co.uk/... Sussex Roads Police officer Tom Van Der Wee said this evening (Tuesday, April 13) that a van drove past him on the A27 in Arundel, 'with the driver tapping away at a phone mounted in the windscreen'.

"I proceeded to pull him over, in my bright big police car," PC Van Der Wee wrote on Twitter.

"He genuinely saw no issue as 'it’s fine as long as it’s just Google maps you’re using'. Unbelievable. Ticket issued." Speaking to the Observer, the police officer added: "Using a mobile phone is one of the top causation factors in collisions resulting death or serious injury.

"It only takes a momentary lapse of concentration for potentially devastating consequences."

Driving whilst using a phone is distracting, so therefor may cause an accident because according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phones_and_driving_safety#:~:text=Cell%20phone%20use%20while%20driving,leading%20to%20more%20car%20crashes. Cell phone use while driving has become a leading cause of vehicle crashes over the last two decades. Using a cell phone while driving increases the driver's risk of causing a crash. Drivers are distracted, decreasing the driver's awareness on the road, leading to more car crashes.

Using a phone behind the wheel is unacceptable, dangerous, and illegal, those caught doing so MUST lose their license, and receive a fine (minimum amount £500), and possibly a jail term (not exceeding 3 months). There is no excuse, HEADS UP, PHONES DOWN.

Dwayne Hards

LCN