Drivers in Denmark Face Bans for Mounted Phone Calls

Using a mounted phone while driving can cost you your driver's licence in Denmark. A Danish court recently ruled on this issue in Glostrup. A 46-year-old woman received a conditional driving ban for using FaceTime while driving. She was driving on Motorring 3 near Copenhagen on January 13. Her phone was correctly mounted in her car. However, the video call distracted her from surrounding traffic.

Police noticed that she failed to react to merging cars. Several drivers had to brake or accelerate to avoid an accident. Glostrup District Court ruled that she ignored basic road safety. The court fined her 2,500 Danish kroner. She also received a conditional loss of her driving licence. She must pass new theory and practical driving tests to retain her licence.

Danish law allows hands-free phone use while driving. However, police can penalise drivers if the call causes dangerous driving. Assistant prosecutor Sabrina Berggren noted that focus must remain on the road. The Danish Road Safety Council also warned about phone distractions. Council chief Jakob Bøving Arendt stated that inattention causes many road deaths. He advised drivers to limit calls even when using hands-free setups.