A 50-year-old man who admitted driving without due care and attention after causing a collision near Burnham-On-Sea while using his mobile phone at the wheel has been fined and given nine points on his driving licence.
Mark Loughlin, who is from Yate, has been sentenced at Bath Magistrates’ Court this month to a £482 fine, the driving points on his licence and he was also ordered to pay £110 costs and £48 victim surcharge.
At about 1.15pm on the 29th September 2020, Loughlin was driving his Citroen Relay on the A370 when shortly after the East Brent roundabout his mobile phone rang.
Dashcam video issued by Police shows that whilst he attempted to connect the phone to his Bluetooth hands free kit, he collided with a Land Rover Discovery after failing to notice that it was stationary and indicating right to turn into Old Bristol Road.
The driver of the Discovery, a woman in her 60s, was initially trapped in her vehicle and was later taken to hospital to be treated for her injuries. Loughlin suffered no injuries. Both cars suffered significant damage.
PC Owen Davies, investigating officer, said: “The shocking footage of this incident clearly illustrates the dangers of driving whilst distracted. An innocent motorist suffered significant injuries – we are fortunate not to be talking fatalities.
“Driver distraction is one of the ‘Fatal Five’ main causes of serious injuries and death on the roads. Research shows that drivers using a phone – handheld or hands free – are four times more likely to be involved in a collision and their driving is impaired to a degree similar to that of a drink driver.”
