【2009 Archives】

2025-06-26 00:33:01 [Shopping] Source: Time Information Network

If you're009 Archivesthe road in the United Kingdom, it might be time to put away the phone.

Penalties for texting while driving in the UK will double in the new year, the BBC reports.

Drivers will get six points on their license and a £200 fine. Right now, drivers incur a £100 fine and three points on their licenses.

You May Also Like

Drivers could also face fines of up to £1,000 and a six-month suspension for second offenses.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

The rules will apply to England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, drivers get only three points and a £60 fine for similar offenses.

In the U.S., penalties for texting while driving differ by state, but 46 states outright ban texting while driving.

According to the BBC, distracted driving caused by cell phones contributed to 492 accidents in Britain in 2014. Twenty-one of those were fatal and 84 were classified as serious.

The British government will launch a campaign called Think! to introduce the new rules, expected to take effect within the first half of 2017.

(Editor: {typename type="name"/})