New laws around driving whilst using a mobile phone have come into place across England over the weekend.
South Yorkshire police put out a message to drivers instructing them not to use mobile phones at all while driving.
Manager of South Yorkshire Safer Roads, Joanne Wehrl, said the group enforce traffic laws throughout the South Yorkshire district. The aim of South Yorkshire Safer roads partnership is to cut the number of people who are injured in a road traffic collision, and to try and make South Yorkshire’s roads safer.
Joanne Wehrl said: “Its so easy for people to do something about this and to make the roads safer for them and everyone else.”
Joanne told us about a car accident where a young girl called Zoe was killed when a driver crashed into her because they were using a mobile phone.
Joanne Wehrl, manager of South Yorkshire safer roads
Roads policing Sgt Mark Bradey said: “As roads policing officers we see the devastating impact that road traffic collisions have on victims and their family and friends.
“We welcome the change to the law and hope drivers think twice about using their mobile phone when driving.”
In 2020, 608 mobile phone offences were reported in South Yorkshire, and in 2021, 246 people were found guilty of a mobile phone offence whilst driving.
The changes to the law now state that virtually all use of a mobile phone is illegal, including taking photographs, videos, having apps open or illuminating the screen in any way.
Sheffield Road
Joanne Wehrl said: “we know it’s a devastating thing to lose someone in a road traffic collision, but to lose someone must be even more upsetting when they are lost so needlessly due to something that is entirely preventable.”
