Case Study : FirstCar continued ...
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Published material
Information spread There are multiple references to , and features on , mobile phone use in the FirstCar magazines and we suggested that this could be gathered together into a permanent themed section of the website so that it can easily be found by individuals as and when they need it . This should clearly identify how individuals should behave , as well as how they should not behave .
What it means to ‘ use ’ a phone As outlined on page 15-17 , the term ‘ use ’ in relation to mobile phone is complex and continually changing . Information that relates to the use of a mobile phone therefore needs to be kept up to date ( which may mean remaking or editing videos available as part of the Academy website ). It makes sense to mention a range of activities when referring to ‘ use ’, rather than to imply only calling and texting are the issue .
Young people may be adopting more passive forms of use , such as checking social media , and the dangers of this need to be clear . For example , the FirstCar Practical 2018 advises that ‘ the penalties for texting while driving are seriously heavy as it ’ s even more dangerous than drink driving ’. Someone reading it with little understanding of the law may simply take away the knowledge that it is an offence to text while driving and , if they personally don ’ t do that , the message may not seem to apply to them . Similarly , in the Academy video clip concerning ‘ distractions ’, ‘ checking a text message ’ is mentioned as one of the most common distractions but , again , singling this behaviour out may obscure other common actions that are not mentioned . Future avenues for developing these notions of ‘ use ’ in FirstCar materials were discussed during the consultation .
A consistently safety-focused message The action of hands-free mobile phone use , whilst legal , can be equally as dangerous as handheld , so we should avoid encouraging individuals to switch to hands-free mobile phone use . Evidence suggests that this is simply a legal and dangerous , rather than illegal and dangerous form of , risky behaviour . There are similarities here with recording presenters talking to a camera whilst driving , which should probably not be encouraged . We would support an approach which encourages individuals to refrain from all mobile phone use while driving so that pre- and new drivers do not attempt to second guess the law and what they can ‘ get away with ’, but instead focus on avoiding all distraction .
See page 18 for insight into live streaming while driving - something we may not have considered as a form of use but which may appeal to younger drivers .