'My Red Thumb Day' highlights dangers of using mobiles while driving

Devon's emergency services are backing a national campaign highlighting the risks of being distracted by mobile devices while driving.

Today (May 12) is My Red Thumb Day – meaning 'thumbs up, mobiles down'.

The idea is to make people aware of whether they often look at their devices instead of the road when behind the wheel, and encourage them to break the habit.

People are being asked to send photos and videos of themselves putting their 'thumbs up for mobiles down' to @myredthumb on Twitter, Facebook and TikTok. More information at www.myredthumb.com

Many road accidents are caused by motorists distracted by their mobile devices and there are strict penalties for being caught using a phone while driving.

You can get six penalty points and a £200 fine if you use a hand-held phone when driving. You'll also lose your licence if you passed your driving test in the last two years.

You can get three penalty points if you don't have a full view of the road and traffic ahead or proper control of the vehicle.

You can also be taken to court where you can be banned from driving, and get a maximum fine of £1,000 (or £2,500 if driving a lorry or bus).

Chris Boston, Watch Manager for road safety at Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said:

"This is a fun social media campaign with a serious message – mobile phone use while driving is a major contributory factor to a high number of fatal road traffic collisions.

"Mobile devices are used by the vast majority of the population and the habit of looking at the screen can be hard to break, so My Red Thumb day is about raising awareness that we all need to stop being distracted behind the wheel and about offering solutions to how to achieve that."