The penalty for drivers who use a mobile phone at the wheel could be doubled to six points.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said yesterday that the high death toll from accidents caused by motorists texting or making calls had made him consider a fresh crackdown. “The amount of casualties has been absolutely horrifying,” he said. “We’ve got to change this. We’ve got to get that message across.”

The new penalty follows research showing texting at the wheel can be more distracting than the effects of drink or drugs. The Transport Research Laboratory found sending a text slows reaction time by 37 per cent. Using drug delayed it 21 per cent, and drinking to the legal limit 13 per cent. Speaking on a phone slowed it by 46 per cent.

Using a mobile at the wheel has been illegal for a decade, with the fine initially £30. In 2007, it was increased to three points and £60, and last year it rose to £100, and a possible £1,000 on conviction in court. Between May 2012 and August 2013, the number of drivers with points on their license for using a mobile phone fell by 14 per cent, from 677,500 to 583,700.

Mr McLoughlin said one difficulty is that drivers who have passed in the previous two years lose their license if they get six points – compared to 12 for other drivers. This means a new driver could be banned for one charge. A Department for Transport source said one way to prevent this was to give three points for a first offence, six for a second.

The latest RAC(Royal Automobile Club) Report on Motoring said 51 per cent of motorists think they will escape accusation for texting in traffic as they see others “getting away with it”. There are not enough police patrols, it said.

Automobile Association president Edmund King said: “Tougher penalties such as six points and bigger fines are only part of the solution. They won’t be effective unless accompanied by more cops in cars to enforce the law.”

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1.What made the Transport Secretary decide on the tougher penalty?

A The amount of deaths caused by traffic accidents is horrifying.

B The high death toll on road is caused by drivers texting or making calls.

C Texting or making calls has caused many accidents leading to a high death toll.

D Drivers still make calls while driving although they know it is illegal.

解析：选B。细节理解题。根据文章第二段…the high death toll …made him consider a fresh crackdown可知，之所以采取更为严厉的措施，原因在于开车时使用手机酿成事故，造成了很多的人员伤亡。

2.What does the underlined phrase most probably mean in the second paragraph?

A To let the people across the country know the message.

B To send this message to every corner of the country.

C To let people have a better understanding of the message.

D To explain every word of the message to all the people.

解析：选C。猜测词义题。根据文章第二段语境，结合文章对交通大臣的想法的解读可知，get the message across意为“让人们很好的理解这一信息”。

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A Big fines didn’t prove effective to stop using mobiles at the wheel.

B The fine on using mobiles while driving grows higher.

C The number of drivers using phones has dropped sharply.

D It was not fair for a new driver to get six points for only one charge.

解析：选A。推理判断题。根据文章第四段关于罚金不断上涨的情况可以推断，高额罚金在禁止开车时使用电话并没有见到效果。

4.What problem did the RAC report reveal?

A There were not enough police patrols on the road.

B Those who broke the rule could get away with it.

C There was no effective solution to the problem.

D Many drivers took the chance to escape penalties.

解析：选D。细节理解题。根据文章第六段…think they will escape accusation…as they see others “getting away with it”可知，很多司机心存侥幸，才出现了开车使用电话的违法现象仍然大行其道。

5.What can be the best title of the passage?

A Tougher Penalties against Using Mobiles at the Wheel

B Effective Solutions to Banning Texting Drive

C Death Toll from Accidents Caused by Phoning Drive on the Rise

D Difficulty in Carrying out the New Penalties

解析：选A。主旨大意题。通读全文可知，本文的主要内容为：英国交通部门将加大力度，惩治开车时使用电话的违法行为。