Q - My phone has a loudspeaker, when I get a call I just answer it, put into onto loudspeaker and then I can talk whilst it is in my top pocket. Am I committing a offence?




A. - YES. It is an offence if the phone is or must be held at some point during the course of making or receiving a call. The only way you can answer a call is with a hands free kit that allows you to answer by simply pressing a button without holding the phone. But beware - if you are distracted whilst on a call you could still be committing an offence of driving without due care or failing to have proper control of the vehicle.





Q. I drive a van, it is taxed the same as a car, it is registered as Private Light Goods but I have been stopped driving at 56 in a 60 zone,and the police say I was speeding. Are they right?




A. The law has changed, vans are now limited to 50 mph on a single carriageway and 60 on a dual carriageway. The only van that is classed the same as a car is a 'car derived van' These are vans that are both derived from a car chassis and also have a maximum laden weight of no more than 2 tonnes. This means that the weight of the vehicle and the payload it is designed to be able to carry when added together do not exceed 2 tonnes. The van design must be a derivative of a car body, it is not sufficient that it looks similar to a particular car.



Q My partner is 7 months pregnant and finds it hard to wear a seat belt, is she exempt?


A. No, pregnancy itself is not a ground for exemption but if a doctor certified it was not safe for her to wear one on medical grounds then that would be sufficient.


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