‘Spare others from this pain’

Michael (50) and Stacey (29) Pringle, who say the level of mobile phone use by drivers in Jersey is ‘shocking’, are also calling on authorities to introduce a UK-style penalty points system to crack down on the problem.

Their three-year-old ‘football mad’ son Clinton was on holiday with his mother when he was run over by a van and fatally injured as he crossed Tunnell Street into the Millennium Town Park a year ago on Tuesday.

The driver, Rebekah Le Gal (39), admitted texting on her phone seconds before the collision but was this week cleared of causing death by dangerous driving as Jurats decided there was no definitive evidence that her phone use caused her not to see the boy.

She is due to be sentenced for the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving next month.

But Mr and Mrs Pringle, who are from Scotland, said that, regardless of the court’s verdict, mobile phone use while driving is dangerous and have urged motorists to think twice before using their devices at the wheel to try to stop another family losing a child.

Mr Pringle said: ‘The situation over here is bad. We have seen so many people using their phones while behind the wheel.

‘More children will die because you are seriously distracted while using a phone and especially if you are involved in a text conversation.

‘The fact there is no penalty points system here is wrong.’

Full interview in this weekend’s JEP.

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