Hampshire Police Launch Measures To Reduce Mobile Phone Usage Behind The Wheel

Serious Injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell’s Southampton office welcome news today that Hampshire Constabulary, in line with other forces across the country, are launching a renewed campaign to reduce the public’s mobile phone usage behind the wheel.

Statistics reported by the force suggest that as many as 15% of road traffic accidents across Hampshire are caused by driver distraction resulting from the use of mobile phones and other devices.

A campaign in May 2016 saw 190 drivers caught using their mobile phones whilst driving - a 36% increase compared to the same time last year.

Hampshire Constabulary have announced that over the coming week, they will be undertaking operations specifically targeted towards identifying and catching drivers using their mobile phones.

The news follows an incident on the A34 in Hampshire in which four deaths occurred, involving the driver of a lorry captured on video footage using his mobile phone.

Claire Howard, Partner and Serious Injury Specialist at Irwin Mitchell’s Southampton office, said:

Expert Opinion

“This is very welcome news from Hampshire Constabulary. At Irwin Mitchell we act for a great many clients who have been seriously injured as a result of road traffic accidents. I still find it alarming just how many of these are caused by drivers using their mobile phones and being distracted from their driving.

The tragic accident on the A34 clearly shows the devastation that this can cause, but sadly this is not a one-off. In the last 12 months alone, we have been instructed by several families who have lost people on Hampshire’s roads, all down to drivers using their mobile phones. The very worst part is that it’s so avoidable.

With this initiative coming shortly ahead of Brake Road Safety Week, which encourages drivers to take Brake’s Road Safety Pledge, I am hopeful that some momentum will be gained, and drivers will start to realise that by making a simple change and waiting to use their phone until they are pulled over in a safe place, safety on Hampshire’s roads will significantly improve.” Claire Howard - Solicitor

Irwin Mitchell are pleased to be reaffirming our dedication to road safety through our sponsorship of Brake’s upcoming Road Safety Week, taking place from 21-30 November.

More information about Brake’s Road Safety Pledge can be found at their website, while further road safety resources from Irwin Mitchell’s own #SaferJourneys campaign is available on our related campaign page.