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Sister dailies unite with BBC for new campaign

Two sister dailies have joined forces with the BBC in a bid to stop drivers using phones behind the wheel.

The East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star have united with BBC Radio Suffolk for the bid, which aims to get drivers to pledge to keep their hands off their mobiles.

Offenders can currently be fined £100 and have six penalty on their driving licence.

The campaign was launched on the same day the EADT reported a 50pc increase in speeding offences in Suffolk.

EADT driving

Editor Terry Hunt said: “Using a mobile phone while driving is one of what the police call ‘the fatal four’ main causes of crashes in which people die or suffer serious injuries. The other three are drink-driving, speeding, and not wearing a seatbelt.

“We are asking people to resist the temptation to check a message or take or make a call while they’re driving. The best way to remove that temptation is to make sure your phone is out of reach – maybe in the boot of your car.

“Of course we know sometimes calls can be urgent, but I can’t think of any roads, minor or major, on which it’s not possible to pull off and stop within a few minutes.

“Then you can safely use your mobile. Nothing can be so urgent that it’s worth putting lives at risk.”

Mark Murphy, BBC Radio Suffolk’s breakfast show presenter, said: “It’s so easy for any of us to be tempted to check our phones while we’re driving, or sitting in traffic,and I’m sure that we’ve all seen people doing it but we now know just how devastating the consequences can be.”

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  • January 24, 2017 at 6:45 pm
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    Never ones to knowingly avoid a passing bandwagon which might yield a few readers

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