The percentage of telephone users in the car increased from 35 to 36 percent compared to 2019, Deloitte reports based on a survey of 2000 Dutch people.
The research shows that motorists on the road mainly use their phones to send apps. The survey does not reveal whether the respondents pick up the phone or leave it in a holder. The latter is not prohibited by law, while holding the phone is punishable. The percentage of cyclists who indicate that they sometimes use the telephone while on the road is, at 43 percent, a lot higher than is the case with motorists.
Telephone use on bicycles has been prohibited since 1 July 2019, but that ban has been in force for some time in the car. From this year on, the fine for motorists is € 250. By using ‘smart cameras’ above roads and highways, the National Police hopes to increase the chances of getting caught in order to reduce telephone use behind the wheel. The cameras take a photo from above and only register the space around the steering wheel and the license plate of the car. If the system detects the presence of a telephone in the driver’s hand, the fine will be automatically sent home. The smart cameras were only used for the first time at the end of 2020, so this year it will have to be seen whether they have any effect on the degree of telephone use behind the wheel.