UK ministers to discuss safe driving modes with phone makers
An informal meeting in Whitehall is due to take place early next year.
While lawmakers are doing their part to reduce the number of drivers making calls and sending texts while behind the wheel, ministers believe phone companies also have a part to play. According to The Guardian, government ministers are due to meet with representatives from the world's biggest smartphone makers early next year, urging them to introduce software that will limit the use of smartphones while a vehicle is in motion.
It's believed the talks will centre on the development of a so-called "drive safe" mode, much like the airplane mode now present on all devices, and other methods for reducing smartphone use behind the wheel. A separate Mashable report suggests that one method could include blocking mobile signals on Britain's roads -- although that could have a serious impact during emergencies.
Next year, the government will introduce new rules that crack down on mobile phone use while on the road. Fines and penalty points will be doubled to £200 and six points, with newly-passed drivers required to retake their test. Repeat offenders may be given up to a £1,000 fine and a driving ban of at least six months.
Questions remain over how special software modes would limit mobile phone use while driving. If such measures were implemented as standard, car passengers and people travelling on public transport would be unfairly impacted. If users need to opt-in, some wouldn't enable it in the first place.
Still, the Department for Transport is keen to solve the issue: "We are determined to crack down on mobile phone use at the wheel. Our plans to double penalties for this serious crime should act as an incredibly strong deterrent," a spokesperson said. "We will continue to explore what more can be done to tackle this crime."
