Four year jail sentence for texting motorist

Hotel manager Kiera Coultas, 25, was replying to a message on her mobile phone when she hit scaffolder Jordan Wickington, 19. The teenager, who was not wearing a cycle helmet, stopped at the traffic lights momentarily and went through them on red.

Coultas admitted her BMW was doing 45mph in a 30mph limit when she drove across a junction in Southampton shortly after 7am on February 7 last year. She failed to see the cyclist because she was replying to a text message, Southampton Crown Court heard. Mr Wickington, from Netley Abbey, Hampshire, died in hospital later that day.

The court heard Coultas, from Hythe, in Hampshire, had previously received three fixed penalty tickets for speeding - two of the offences were committed on a road leading to the junction. She denied one count of dangerous driving, but was found guilty by a jury.

Judge Jeremy Burford QC sentenced her to four years in jail and disqualified her from driving for five years. He said: "The serious part of your conduct was that you were sending a text on your mobile phone having just received one."

He added: "It occurred at precisely the worst time because you failed to see the cyclist who was crossing the road having gone through the red light and travelling as you were at 45mph you hit him and he suffered injuries from which he later died."

The judge accepted the "shock and remorse" and "severe symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder" Coultas had suffered since the crash.

Common problem

A "large proportion" of Britain's motorists regularly flout the law by texting and driving, according to figures released this week by the RAC Foundation.

The Foundation's survey of 2,000 Facebook users revealed that 45% of UK drivers used short message services (SMS) while driving, and that only 11% of motorists turned off their phones or switched them to mute - leaving 89% of drivers open to the distractions caused by mobile phones.

Elizabeth Dainton, research development manager for the RAC Foundation, said: "The survey clearly demonstrates that a large proportion of UK drivers are breaking the law by texting and driving.

"Our message is clear - texting whilst driving is not safe. Motorists should switch off their mobile phones when driving or put them on silent mode. It takes away the temptation to read or reply to a text message whilst on the move. Messages can easily be picked up at the end of the journey or during a break."

The RAC Foundation said the survey showed that young and "techno savvy" motorists were most likely to text while driving. The problem was most prominent in London (53%), and Manchester (50%), and lowest in Aberdeen (31%), Edinburgh (36%), Bristol (36%) and Glasgow (38%).