A company in County Durham has banned its employees from using mobile phones while they are at the wheel.
Workers at the 3M manufacturing plant in Newton Aycliffe have been told they cannot use mobiles, or even hands-free devices, while using their cars for business.
The company has been running a child safety road campaign since 2005, which has involved the distribution of 95,000 high visibility vests to young people in a bid to reduce the number of accidents on roads in the area.
Doug Mitchell, 3M’s managing director, said there is compelling evidence that using mobiles while driving impairs a motorist’s performance.
Katie Shephard, fundraising manager for the road safety charity Brake, agreed: "Research has shown that it is the phone conversation that distracts and kills, regardless of whether a hands-free kit is used or not."
She added: "We hope other companies will follow 3M’s lead and introduce this ban as part of their health and safety policy."
Firm bans mobile phone use behind the wheel
July 28th, 2008
School run accidents “not surprising”
June 6th, 2008The early morning school run is a peak time for road accidents, it has been claimed.
According to Graeme Trudgill of the British Insurance Brokers’ Association, accidents often occur as a multitude of parents try to quickly drop off or pick up their children.
He commented: "There are 33 million cars out there and so it’s not surprising to know that there are over a million school run accidents because it’s the peak time."
Research by Sainsbury’s Finance found that 15 per cent of people who take children to school by car confess to driving without the appropriate child safety seating in place. Meanwhile, 13 per cent of drivers blame a fear of being late for driving erratically on the school run.
Men are reportedly the worst offenders when it comes to dangerous school run driving, with 18 per cent admitting to it, compared to 12 per cent of women.
