Motorists Facing A New Deterrent In Mobile Phone Trial
New technology to catch errant mobile phone using drivers is now on trial in Norfolk.
Road signs equipped with radio signal analysing gear have been designed to determine whether a mobile is on use in an approaching car and also if it is in hands-free mode or not. If not, it will flash up a large symbol showing a thick red line through a mobile phone graphic.
There are being deployed at four sites in the East Anglian County for a four-week period before being moved on to new trial sites. As the signs cannot distinguish whether it is a driver or a passenger who is actually using a phone in hand held mode nor to do number plate recognition or take photographs, it is not equipped to initiate any penalties.
It is intended, at this stage, only as a deterrent, to remind passing drivers and make us think twice about use of phones on the road.
However, this might just be a matter of time. We are all, no doubt, aware that even the risk of six penalty points and a £200 fine is not deterring drivers we see flouting the law on phone use in cars with regularity.
The trials will generate data about how much mobile phone use is detected. Also, it appears that sites chosen for the trials, one of which is an approach to Norwich Airport, mat be suspected hot spots for infringement.
The existing detection element of the gear, if transferred into a waiting roadside police car, seems well capable of alerting an officer to take at a look at who is using a phone.
