Should the govt ban hands-free phone in cars?

Should chatting on the move using a hands-free set up be against the law? The debate’s re-opened after a court jailed a lorry driver for four years because he drove straight into the back of a queue of traffic, killing a van driver. The court heard that the driver was chatting to his mother using a hands-free unit in his cab, and was so distracted that he didn’t even brake before the collision. Using hands-free isn’t in itself illegal.

But, since 2003, it has been an offence to chat on a hand-held mobile while on the move, punishable now by a £60 fine and three penalty points. If the case goes to court, the maximum fine is £1000, plus a driving ban. The jury in this case found the driver guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. But there is another, less serious, offence of failing to keep proper control of a vehicle.

Under this, anyone using a handsfree set-up could be convicted following a crash, however minor.

The anti-phone lobby say that chatting and driving is more dangerous than getting behind the wheel, having consumed excess alcohol. The pro-phone groups say that using a good hands-free set-up is no more distracting than talking to a passenger. And it can also be invaluable for someone trying to navigate safely across unfamiliar roads.

Me? I always switch my phone off. I like to concentrate on driving and – because I’m a man – I’m not so good at keeping focused on more than one thing at a time.

But what do you think? Should talking by phone while driving be banned altogether. Or should things stay as they are – allowing drivers to use hands-free so long as they’re sensible?