Family of woman killed by distracted truck driver issue plea (video)

The family of mother who was killed in a collision caused by a lorry driver using his mobile phone have made a heartfelt appeal as Government urged to review penalties.

Alex Britton, Tina Ince and Tom Watson were killed in a catastrophic incident on the A303 near Andover on August 25, 2021.

Britton’s car had broken down on the westbound carriageway and Ince and Watson both stopped to offer her assistance.

But a lorry driver, who was watching videos and typing in his destination on his phone, failed to see the three cars stopped ahead of him and crashed into them.

Michal Kopaniarz, 40, from Shropshire,  pleaded guilty to causing their deaths by dangerous driving and was subsequently jailed for 12 years in February 2023.

Now Britton’s family have come forward to plead with drivers to put their phone away when behind the wheel.

Her fiancée and father to her two young children, Aaron Law, said: “One of the most devastating things I’ve ever done is break the news to my, at the time, three-year-old daughter that her mummy wasn’t coming back home.

“Being only three we thought she would find it hard to understand, but instantly she grasped what was going on and she broke down in tears.”

Avril Swain, Britton’s mother, added: “When I actually found out that he had been on his phone… unimaginable, actually, that somebody in charge of that huge lorry would take his eyes off the road to look at his phone.

“Since the day of this incident, our lives have changed forever. There’s no turning back from it. It was catastrophic.

“If anybody is thinking about even peeking at their phone whilst driving, just don’t. Whatever it is, it can wait until the end of your journey or, if it is some emergency, pull over.

“Please don’t drive whilst being on your phone.”

Detective Constable Mark Furse, who was the family liaison officer for Alex’s relatives, says that using your mobile phone is a huge distraction when driving but sadly he still sees people doing it every day.

“Nothing is so important that it justifies using your phone while driving and there’s just no excuse for it,” he added.

“If you choose to use your mobile phone when you’re driving and it goes wrong, you will get caught and you will go to prison.”

Call to review mobile phone laws

Data obtained by IAM RoadSmart via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the DVLA shows that 34,738 drivers were issued with a CU80 endorsement on their licence in 2022 for illegally using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel.

Drivers aged between 17-24 made up a tenth of those receiving endorsements, despite only representing 7% of all licence holders.

Home Office data reveals that 37,900 drivers in England were issued either a fixed penalty notice (FPN), driver retraining, or court action for illegal phone use in 2022.

IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards, Nicholas Lyes, said: “We have seen the tragic consequences of drivers using their phones at the wheel in high-profile cases such as that on the M66 where a young driver filmed himself travelling at catastrophic speeds resulting in the death of Frankie Jules-Hough and her unborn child.

“The Government should review the fine level alongside type-approving new camera technology to improve detection.

He added: “Ultimately, we need to break the cycle of phone addition once drivers get behind the wheel as it is a serious distraction that can have tragic results.”

In 2017, the penalties doubled to £200 and six points on a licence, having previously been a £100 fine and three-points.

New drivers caught within two years of passing their practical test risk having their licence revoked.

In March 2022, following several high-profile cases where drivers had convictions overturned on a technicality and because of campaigning from the road safety community, the Government closed the loophole which saw some drivers escape punishment. 

IAM RoadSmart conducted a survey of 2,437 members in February 2024 and found that a third (34%) of respondents support the idea of the police confiscating mobile phones for a short period, with 27% of them believing offenders should pay to get their phone back.

When asked if they feel the current £200 fine and six points on the licence is a sufficient punishment, half (51%) said it is about right, with 42% believing it is too lenient.

Those feeling the status quo is too lenient were asked what a more appropriate penalty would be, with the most popular alternative (selected by 34%) being an instant six-month driving ban and an unlimited fine. This was followed by a £1,000 fine and six points on a licence (supported by 20%).