Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 23 February 2022.
If London Boroughs wanted to install cameras to monitor and deter the use of mobile phone use while driving, would TfL support funding applications?
It is important that the roll out of new enforcement technology is coordinated and prioritised in locations where risk and harm is greatest. The installation of these cameras requires a corresponding investment in police enforcement to investigate and process the offences detected by the cameras.
As explained in 2022/0266, TfL and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are currently focussed on investing in the capacity for the Police to take action against speeding drivers given that speed is a factor in half of all fatal collisions. This requires a significant increase in MPS staff recruitment as well as camera and back office enforcement technology. TfL and the MPS would want to ensure that the roll out of any new distracted driver technology did not adversely impact on these plans or future expansion of the safety camera network. Likewise, the effective enforcement of camera detected offences for driving whilst using a mobile is dependent on the upcoming changes to primary legislation for mobile phone offences, following the High Court ruling in the Barreto case. TfL and the MPS are keeping the situation under review.
TfL and the MPS would welcome a discussion with any Boroughs that were interested in investing in distracted driver technology and the corresponding enforcement resource to deal with distracted driver offences.