mobile phones

Being caught using a mobile phone while driving in Queensland is about to get a lot more expensive. The Queensland Government has announced any driver caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel will be fined $1000 and four demerit points. For drivers caught twice within 12 months, double demerit points apply and they may now lose their licence. Queensland will also trial cameras recently introduced in New South Wales to detect mobile phone usage.

Nissan's British arm has adapted a 19th century invention to 21st century times, creating an armrest-mounted phone holder that blocks the device's signal to reduce driver distraction. Called the 'Nissan Signal Shield' concept, the holder is lined with a Faraday cage - an invention dating back to the 1830s.

Police in New York could be among the first in the world to trial an experimental technology that can detect if a mobile phone has been used behind the wheel. Dubbed ‘textalysers’, a name inspired by the familiar breathalysers used to detect alcohol in a driver’s system, the new systems have been proposed as a means of helping to cut down on driver distraction.