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Driving with an Apple Watch could land you with a £100 FINE

Bad news for tech-addicted fanbois behind the wheel

We're struggling to find a single reason why anyone would want to wear an Apple Watch, but here's one reason why you shouldn't.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has warned that anyone caught using a justWatch when driving will be be hit with the same punishment as if they had been using a mobile phone.

This cautionary missive was backed up the Department for Transport, which said that anyone caught Apple wrist-watching while driving would be clobbered with three penalty points on their driving licence and a £100 fine.

The risk comes when drivers take their eyes off the road to peer at their watch. Stare too long, the transport bods warned, and you will kill yourself and others.

Previous research conducted by the IAM found that distraction from a mobile phone was a contributory factor in 1,960 road accidents resulting in injury, of which 110 were fatal.

Neil Greig, IAM director of policy and research told Mail Online: “[The Apple Watch] has the potential to be just as distracting as any other smartphone device. Indeed more so if you have to take your hand off the wheel and your eyes off the road to interact with it.

“Enforcement will be difficult for the police,” he continued, “but powers exist to seize and interrogate devices in the event of a serious crash. The very device that distracted you also has the power to convict you.”

The Apple Watch and will be released next year, starting at about £350. It's definitely useful for telling the time. Goodness knows what else it will be handy for. ®

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