Phone driving ban penalty up to £60

The government is set to double the fine for driving while using a mobile phone to £60 because figures show the current penalty is failing to have an impact.

Government research shows that the number of drivers using a mobile phone while on the road has dropped by only a quarter since the ban was introduced last December.

The current on-the-spot fine is £30 although drivers contesting it after being caught face being hit with a £1,000 bill if they go to court and lose.

Now the government is expected to include proposals to double the £30 fine and add three points on offenders' driving licences in the Queen's Speech on Tuesday.

What do you think of the ban on using mobile phones while driving – is the existing fine enough or should it be raised? Or should offenders be hit with an automatic driving ban or jail? Vote in the new silicon.com poll here on the right hand side of the page.