Chinese car manufacturers want to join the global competition for developing self-driving cars but are banned from road testing in public. (Photo : Getty Images)
Distracted driving is one of the common killers on the road especially now as there are more reasons to check on smartphones every minute or so but police officers are cracking down on distracted drivers.
With the help of so-called "community spotters," the National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) aim to curb the number of car accidents that stem from distracted driving. Drivers who are distracted by their smartphones or any other mobile device can cause road accidents which often lead to gruesome deaths and disabilities for the persons involved.
The police will also use helmet cameras and unmarked vans so that drivers who are on the lookout for authorities would not be able to just slip by. Some drivers do remove their phones if they spot police officers on the road but quickly bring it out again once there are no authorities present.
Action taken against distracted drivers by the NPCC in May saw over 2300 offenses in just a week, Telegraph reported. The number could still rise considering that many are expecting the Black Friday shopping spree where smartphones are on sale.
"Tackling mobile phone use by drivers requires police enforcement using new technology and tactics to maximise the numbers of people we can stop, combined with strong effective penalties and creative national campaigns to make driving distracted as socially unacceptable as drink-driving," said NPCC roads policing lead Suzette Davenport.
The NPCC will use the new community spotters scheme for about a week under a trial period, ITV News reported. They aim to make drivers think twice whenever they want to use their smartphones while driving which could endanger not only the life of drivers but also innocent pedestrians around the area as well.
Even with the rising number of accidents, people still tend to use their smartphones and mobile devices while driving. It can take off the focus on driving and could lead to disasters as they could miss an oncoming car or a crossing pedestrian.
