MORE than 26,000 motorists have been caught using a handheld mobile phone while driving in the first year since harsher penalties came into force.
Among these are 500 novice drivers who have had their licences revoked for using their phone behind the wheel in their first two years of driving.
On March 1, 2017, the penalties for this offence doubled from £100 and three penalty points to £200 and six points.
To coincide with the first anniversary of the new penalties, THINK! is highlighting the chances of being caught in adverts, which will appear on radio, social media, on demand video and in shopping centres, as part of its ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the dangers.
Road Safety Minister Jesse Norman said: “The penalties for holding and using a mobile phone while driving have proven to be a strong deterrent, and more and more people are aware of just how dangerous this is.
“But some motorists are still not only putting their own lives at risk, but the lives of others.
“Everyone has a role to play to encourage drivers to put their phone away and not use it while at the wheel.”
A further 1,997 motorists were handed fines as part of a national crackdown by traffic officers between January 22-28, which was choreographed by the National Police Chiefs’ Council. Of those caught, 74 per cent were male.
National Lead for Roads Policing and West Mercia Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said: “In the year since the new legislation was introduced, we have started to see changes in driver behaviour as the public begin to understand the impact that driving whilst using a mobile phone can have. However, there are still far too many people underestimating the risk that they take when using their mobile phone at the wheel.
“We used intelligence to identify hotspots and repeat offences to stop over 3000 drivers in one week. 66.5 per cent of which were committing a mobile phone related offence.
“It is not just about the penalty points or the fine, it is about putting safety first and keeping your eyes on the road so you don’t risk hurting or killing an innocent person.”
RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said: “While the temptation may be strong, drivers need to really ask themselves what is so important that they must risk their life, and the lives of others, by using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel.
“We encourage all drivers to think about the role their phone plays in the car while they should be focused on driving – and then make a personal promise to stay safe and legal by visiting BePhoneSmart.uk.”
