Jabra says we Brits are safe drivers

Drive and dialling without a handsfree is down

15 May 2008 0:00 GMT / By Katie Scott

The fact that using your mobile phone at the wheel without a headset/ handsfree is now illegal seems to have finally sunk in.

Headset maker Jabra has commissioned a survey, which found that, of the 2000 consumers surveyed, 93% of drivers were aware of recent amendments to the legislation, which mean that driving and dialling can land you in the clinker for 2 years.

In fact, the survey found that over two-thirds of us believe that the penalties for drivers using a handset were still too mild, perhaps because 51% of the respondents have felt endangered by careless drivers clearly using a handheld phone.

But the research, conducted by TNS, did find that there's a naughty minority out there who feel above the law.

The survey revealed that of those continuing to use their phone whilst driving, 25% state, "I am not likely to get caught", and a further 24% cite that they just couldn’t miss a call.

Perhaps this is fuelled by the fact that only 12% of respondents knew someone who had been caught by the police, and only 3% admitted that they’d ever been caught, so it seems drivers feel it may be worth the risk.

But the good news was that 62% of the drivers interviewed own some sort of handsfree solution already.