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Most drivers don’t use a phone at the wheel, but those that do put themselves, and other road users in danger as using a phone while driving makes you four times more likely to have a crash.

On top of that, anyone caught using a phone whilst driving can end up with six points on their licence and a £200 fine, making a trip out very expensive indeed.

Although it can be tempting to give your phone a quick check, taking your eyes off the road can cause you to swerve, miss important road signs, and most importantly, miss what’s going on in the road ahead.

Most people know that they shouldn’t pick up their phone to call someone, but you may not realise that you can also receive points and a fine for touching your phone for any reason while driving, even if you’re not holding it. Touching the sat nav function on your phone, changing tracks, looking at photos or enabling the camera function all count as phone use.

To encourage everyone to fully concentrate on the road until they’ve reached their destination we’re promoting the #PhoneFree campaign.

This campaign supports the year-round operational and educational work of our officers to try and reduce the number of people using phones while driving on Staffordshire’s roads.

Here’s how you can support the campaign and make a difference to road safety in Staffordshire: Put your phone out of reach in a bag or glove box so you won’t be tempted to take a look whilst you’re waiting at the lights, or in traffic. Use safe driving mode to mute any calls or texts whilst you’re driving. You can always catch up with your friends and family when you reach your destination. If you phone rings and you need to take the call, pull over where it’s safe and turn your engine off before you start the call. Handsfree is still legal, but can be distracting, so we’d recommend not using your phone at all when driving.

Your friends, family, or work colleagues won’t mind waiting for a text, call or message if you’re driving. They’d rather you get to your destination safely than not at all. If you need to make a call or text, park up somewhere safely and turn the ignition off before looking at your phone.

Using a phone behind the wheel is one of the most common causes of serious injury or death on the roads.

If you’d like to know more about the laws around using a phone in a vehicle you can find more information on our website: https://www.staffordshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/driving-mobile-device-use/