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The mobile phone industry is under pressure to introduce software on phones to prevent drivers being distracted by notifications.
According to The Guardian, an informal government meeting is due to take place early next year at which ministers will tell phone manufacturers and network providers that software similar to airplane mode should be built into phones to block the data signal while the owner is driving.
The report said that ministers want a basic software to become standard, with suggestions it could be triggered using GPS technology to detect when certain speeds are reached.
The software would also differ from airplane mode in that it would still allow emergency calls or to accept calls from designated contacts.
From next spring the fixed penalty charge for using a mobile phone that isn’t hands-free while driving will double to £200, with the fixed penalty notice also set to double from three points to six.
It is hoped the new software could add further discouragement to drivers who still use a phone while at the wheel.
According to the RAC annual motoring report, which was published in September, the number of drivers who admitted using a phone in their hands while driving has risen from 8% in 2014 to 31% this year.
