Should mobile phones be fitted with a kill switch to prevent in-car use?

It’s a common sight these days to see people glued to their mobile phone or tablet device wherever they are – be it on the street, waiting at the bus stop, sat in the café, or even driving their car. That’s right, more and more drivers are finding it hard to resist the urge to check their phone or tablet whilst behind the wheel.

This is a problematic trend and in the UK the police have already convicted more than 150,000 drivers for using their phone or tablet while behind the wheel. More concerning, police estimate that around 500 deaths on the road are in some way attributable to the use of such devices while in the car.

As a result, some companies are calling for mobile phones and tablets to be fitted with a kill switch that prevents their use while in the car. One such advocate is leasing company Flexed who say it is not beyond the realms of current technology to disable phone functions while behind the wheel.

Good news for safe driving, but sure to upset some motorists such as users of hands-free kits who use their phone legally to keep in touch while on the road; or passengers who use a tablet to make a long car journey more bearable. It is unclear whether the kill switch could be disabled in circumstances such as these and, as a result, how easy it would be to exploit this feature.

We’re keen to learn your views on this topic. Should mobile phones and tablets be fitted with a kill switch which is activated when in the car? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Today marks the last day of this year’s Road Safety Week. Brake, the road safety charity, has been calling on drivers to look out for each other in order to help stop the five deaths and 61 serious injuries that happen every day on UK roads. We urge all drivers to leave their phone alone while behind the wheel.