Bedfordshire Police tell Drivers to #PutItDown in new campaign

The campaign will encourage drivers to #PutItDown while driving in order to combat the growing trend of mobile use whilst behind the wheel. Officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing unit will be carrying out enforcement activity to support the campaign, which is being supported by local councils and the fire service.

Inspector Chris Huggins, from the unit, said: “Mobile phones are now an integral part of society, with drivers aged 21-40 being the most likely to be using a phone whilst driving, putting themselves and others at risk of serious or fatal injuries. We hope that by highlighting the tragic consequences of using a mobile phone, and the long term impact it has on those families who lose loved ones, that we can encourage people to ‘put it down’. For those who choose to ignore that message we will be conducting enforcement checks across the three counties to enforce the law.”

Last year in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, 2,047 people were caught using a mobile phone while driving by the tri-force unit.

Additionally, in a recent poll 29 per cent of people in Bedfordshire admitted to using a mobile phone to make a call, change music or text while driving.