SACK: Should texting drivers be dismissed?
PoliceWitness are supporting calls by a senior police officer for employers to sack fleet drivers caught texting at the wheel.
Last month, Stephen Kavanagh, Chief Constable of Essex Police, told the BBC that professional bodies should make it clear to employees that using mobiles while driving is a sackable offence.
Matt Stockdale, Chairman of PoliceWitness, said that he fully supported such calls.
“We are fully behind Chief Constable Kavanagh on this,” he said.
“It sends a powerful message to any driver who has a company name written down the side of the vehicle, which is – get caught using your phone by a member of public whilst driving a company vehicle, and you may face immediate dismissal.
“With tens of thousands of motorists and cyclists recording their journeys and reporting through our service, those drivers who choose to flout the law could potentially lose their jobs.
“The key here is that all businesses large and small should communicate and enforce this policy.
“The Chief’s calls are an endorsement of our success which has already seen several professional drivers lose their jobs after being caught recklessly driving or not in control of their vehicle.
“We have to put this into context; these drivers are driving weapons on wheels.
“A momentary lapse of concentration could see an entire family killed as the weight of these lorries are capable of crushing a normal family car and its passengers beyond all recognition.”
