Survey suggests widespread use of mobile phones while driving

Almost one-third of car drivers have answered a mobile phone while driving, while more than a quarter of a text read, a new survey suggests.

In the survey of 2,100 people for automobile clubs of store Halfords 31% the driver said that you one had answered a call to the wheel, and 22% that you had made.

However, 52% of those said than asked after their experience as passengers, she had been in a car as his driver answered or made a call. Halfords says that this could indicate a larger proportion of the driver the law can disregard, as ready, admit it.

Further questions revealed that drivers your mobile phones for more than calls, however, use.Twenty-eight percent of drivers said that you read, had a text at the wheel, and 18% one hatte.Inzwischen sent you that allowed 5% have access to a social site like Facebook or Twitter and 3% that you had read an e-Mail.

Halfords in-car technology expert Clare Pritchard said that the only way to legally use a cell phone while driving a hands free device installieren.jedoch, she added: "it is always better, drag in a safe place and stop the car before using the phone."

Found in December 2009 that introduced in 2007 not driver suggested more severe penalties for handheld cell phone use, behavior to change over, earlier this month published a study of the transport research laboratory government research one increase the use of mobile phones while driving.

Since February 2007 the drivers have faced, a £ 60 fine and three penalty points for using your handheld mobile while with running his engine at the wheel of a car - even if the vehicle is stationary at the time.

Dynamics research commented, RAC Foundation Director Professor Stephen Gleister, cell phone use by drivers was "bad news" for road safety.

"We know slow driver reaction times by almost half if you are a chat on their phones," he added.

"This is worse than texting while driving research showed RAC Foundation, a third slow response times."

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Think tank suggests 'green tax' shakeup

A think tank is helping rethinking of taxation, pushing the UK meeting of its environmental objectives.

And its proposals covering business, budget and transport emissions are introducing a steep rise in fuel duty and a tax on new cars.

The proposals are set up in the final report of the Green fiscal Commission (GFC), an independent body to the operation of environmental taxes, and the public reaction to examine included. The Commission work centres around moving from taxation of clean activities, e.g. labour that cause environmental damage.

In addition to his recommendations of GFC argued fuel duty over the next decade - a move that could gasoline to around £ 2 per litre - and for a £ 300 green tripled tax on new cars that would rise to £ 3300 by 2020.However, the extra income would be offset by reductions in tax and social security.

The report author of Paul Ekins, Professor of energy and environment policy at the University College London, explains that changes on the economy would be almost neutral but taxation system would move where the polluter pays.

"" It's really a matter of moving a way of thinking,"he said.""We have had it as an energy is cheap, so we were wasteful."

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