A new warning sign for motorists on mobiles near Norwich Airport Credit: ITV Anglia
New technology has been introduced in Norfolk to detect when people are driving while on their phones. The signs are the first of their kind in the country. It is hoped it will improve road safety but as Natalie Gray reports there is a problem.
Chris Spinks used to be head of roads policing for Norfolk and Suffolk. He now works for the Dereham based company Westcotec which makes the driver information displays. He says there have been some terrible accidents involving motorists on mobiles.
The technology is in its infancy and cannot tell whether it is the driver on the phone or a passenger, or if someone driving a bus has a phone to his ear - or half the passengers are texting. But it can distinguish between someone holding a phone or being hands free. It is illegal to hold a phone while driving but plenty of people still do it.
No one should be worried if they get a flash from the sign. It will not lead to a prosecution. It is simply a reminder that driving while on the phone can be a dangerous distraction.
Norfolk County Council is hoping it will make drivers think.
