Mobile phone manufacturers and providers are facing demands from ministers to introduce software that will prevent drivers from being distracted by calls and texts.

An informal meeting in Whitehall is due to take place early in the new year, the Guardian can reveal, in which ministers and officials will tell mobile companies that “drive safe” modes, similar to the airplane mode that has become standard, must be included in basic software ahead of a broader crackdown on illegal mobile phone use on the roads.

Drive safe mode differs from a flight safe mode because it can potentially let the driver make emergency calls or accept calls from certain designated persons. There is also the possibility of automatically blocking the phone using GPS technology if certain speeds are reached.



In spring 2017, the fixed penalty for using a mobile phone while driving without a hands-free device will double to £200. The fixed penalty notice will increase from three to six points.

Ministers are concerned by the number of deaths that are at least partly attributed to being distracted by mobile phones – about 20 a year – with “distraction in vehicle” a factor in 70 deaths annually.

Holding a mobile phone while driving has been illegal since December 2003, but there has been an alarming change in motorists’ attitudes to talking to friends or colleagues without using hands-free devices.

Two-thirds of the population own smartphones and the vast array of apps and functions means there are increasing distractions for drivers.

The RAC’s annual report on motoring, published in September, found the number of drivers who admitted to using a handheld mobile phone on the road had increased from 8% in 2014 to 31%.

Nearly one-fifth admitted to sending a text or email, or posting on social media, while 14% filmed a video or took a photo while driving. The number of drivers who thought it was acceptable to take a quick call on a handheld phone doubled to 14%.

The transport minister Lord Ahmad said the meeting would “consider safe drive modes, or other practical applications, when a person is driving”.

But road safety campaigners said the government should compel manufacturers to include a drive safe button, if they resisted ministerial pressure.

A separate RAC Foundation-commissioned report published this summer found that without a legal obligation, few companies would include software that limited the use of their equipment, because it would put them at a commercial disadvantage and they felt the onus was on the driver to make sure their use of technology complied with the law.

Steve Gooding, the director of the RAC Foundation, said: “New smartphones and tablets come fresh out of the box loaded with apps and other functions, easily activated through on-screen icons. While flight safe mode comes as standard issue, where is the drive safe equivalent?

“Drivers must carry the personal responsibility for avoiding distraction when they are at the wheel, but telecoms companies surely have an obligation to help them do the right thing, something we’re discussing with the Department for Transport (DfT).

“If industry doesn’t help voluntarily, then maybe we need to consider legislative options.”

Gary Rae, the campaigns director for road safety charity Brake, said: “We’re pleased that Lord Ahmad is looking into this. The use of mobiles behind the wheel is a growing menace.

“Drivers who use phones, either hands-free or handheld, have been found by researchers to be four times more likely to be in a crash resulting in injuries than drivers who were not distracted.

“The technology exists now to shut off mobiles when they’re in a vehicle. It just needs the political will to make this happen. We’re ready to take part in any talks between government, vehicle manufacturers and mobile operators.”

A DfT spokesman said: “We are determined to crack down on mobile phone use at the wheel. Our plans to double penalties for this serious crime should act as an incredibly strong deterrent. We will continue to explore what more can be done to tackle this crime.”