Using a mobile phone hands-free is a distraction

According to recent research commissioned by esure car insurance, 71% of motorists think that using a mobile phone hands-free is a distraction for the driver.

Whilst it is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone when driving, it is legal to use one via a hands-free kit.

That said according to the esure research over 40% of motorists think that the use of mobile phone hands-free kits should also be banned.

Around 16 million motorists regularly make hands-free calls whilst driving.

Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure car insurance, Mike Pickard, said ‘Although the use of hands-free kits is legal, motorists should always ensure that they pay full attention to the road as opposed to a phone conversation.’

Driving and using a hand-held mobile phone was banned in 2003.

Currently if caught using a hand-held phone, the penalty is £60 and 3 penalty points on your driving licence. Over 185,000 motorists were prosecuted in 2007 for this offence.

In the same year, nearly 3000 motorists were also prosecuted for not having proper control of their vehicle whilst driving and being distracted with hands-free mobile phone calls.

Head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Kevin Clinton, said ‘RoSPA has always said that the use of hands-free phone kits while driving should have been made illegal at the same time as hand-held phones were.’

This is a busy renewal time for car insurance. Launched in 2001, esure, offers car isnusrance under its own brand and through the Halifax, Sainsbury’s and Sheilas’ Wheels brands.

With so many car insurance providers it can be difficult to determine which offers the best cover for your needs. That’s why there are a number of car insurance comparison websites around, such as Gocompare.com.

Such comparison sites enable you to enter your details once and then compare quotes and insurance cover from a range of different car insurance providers quickly and easily.