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Topics: News
Lucy Devine
It might come as a surprise, but you could be fined at a drive-thru if you're not careful.
Under the Highway Code, drivers who use their phones behind the wheel could receive a £200 fine - and using your mobile at a drive-thru is no exception.
The same applies for those sat in traffic jams or queues.
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Meanwhile, tougher laws on mobile phones are set to be brought in next month. While the law currently prohibits drivers from using their phone to call or text, from 25th March, stricter laws will cover scenarios such as checking your notifications, unlocking your phone or trying to access an app.
Edmund King, AA president, said: “The AA has long campaigned to toughen up these rules, and we welcome this announcement. This is a much needed upgrade of the law to help make our roads safer. Mobile phones offer many distractions and this sends a clear message that picking them up to use them will not be tolerated.
"The law will also become tougher as the use of smartwatches, tablets and laptops behind the wheel will apply. Drivers will be extremely limited on when they can pick up their phone, mainly to call the emergency services when there was no opportunity to safely pull over and to make contactless payments at drive-thrus.
"Being sat in a traffic jam or waiting at the lights is not an excuse, we want people to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road."
You will, however, be able to use your phone to make a contactless payment at a drive-thru.
Drivers will still be able to continue using a device ‘hands-free’ while driving, such as a sat-nav, but only if it’s secured in a cradle where it cannot move.
You can read more on the DVLA website here.