Discretion, negotiation and legality: What can policing contribute to reducing the harm caused by distracted driving?

Briggs, Gemma; Savigar-Shaw, Leanne and Wells, Helen (2025). Discretion, negotiation and legality: What can policing contribute to reducing the harm caused by distracted driving? Applied Police Briefings (In press).

URL: https://appliedpolicebriefings.com/index.php/APB

Abstract

• Decades of international research has shown that handsfree phone-use by drivers is just as dangerous as handheld phone-use. Despite this, most jurisdictions only legislate against handheld use.
• Police officer interactions with mobile phone offenders represent an opportunity to share evidence-based safety advice, above and beyond compliance with the law.
• Officers are supportive of enforcing the law but value their discretion, which can lead to variability in prosecution decisions. Most are unaware of the dangers of handsfree use, and routinely recommend this dangerous practice to offenders.

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