A driver was so engrossed in a conversation while using a hands-free phone he caused a fatal car crash, a court has heard.
Marvyn Richmond was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison at Lincoln Crown Court, for dangerous driving.
Van passenger Michael Buston was killed in the accident, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Figures show that 30 deaths are caused by mobile phone use, although the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) believes the true figure is much greater although few motorists admit to using mobile phones while driving.
RoSPA spokesman Roger Vincent said the government should consider legislating for a total ban on drivers using mobile phones.
"It is the conversation itself that is the problem, because people get more and more involved in that and pay less and less attention to the road," commented Mr Vincent.
A law came into effect in California yesterday (June 30th) prohibiting the use of mobile phones while driving. Motorists over the age of 18 will be permitted to use hands-free phones, although those under the age of 18 will not.
Hands-free phone driver jailed for accident death
July 1st, 2008
Worker wins payout after cooling tower accident
June 27th, 2008A construction worker who fell from 18 feet from a cooling tower has won his claim for compensation, it has been reported.
Following the accident at Didcot Power Station in Oxfordshire, Stephen Deakes of Stainforth suffered serious head and chest injuries and requires around-the-clock care.
Mr Deakes was installing plastic packing inside the cooling tower when the accident occurred, according to the Thorne Gazette.
Judge Reddihough ruled at Sheffield Crown Court that employers Thermal Energy Construction Ltd would have to pay a sum large enough to cover Mr Deake’s life-long care and any future specialist equipment he requires.
Hi wife Amanda commented: "Without the settlement we would constantly be worrying about where the money was coming from for his physiotherapy, communication aids, wheelchairs and anything else that crops up in the future."
Recently, a worker in the US spent three hours bleeding after an accident involving the fan blades of a rooftop cooling tower, reports the Las Vegas Review Journal.
