Mobile driving crackdown shifts up a gear

UK drivers caught using their mobiles at the wheel will be hit with increased fines and penalty points as the government's new crackdown comes into force.

From Tuesday, the fine for driving whilst using a mobile will double from £30 to £60 and offenders will also be liable for three penalty points on their licence.

The harsher penalties will also apply to those not having proper control of their vehicle, "a measure which can also be used where a driver has been distracted by using a handsfree mobile phone", the Department of Transport said.

There are even stiffer penalties on the cards for bus, coach and goods vehicle drivers who can't hang up, including fines that could run into thousands of pounds.

According to the government, the revamped punishments are necessary to deter the 21 per cent of drivers who still break the law by chatting on the phone while driving.

Driving while using a mobile phone first became illegal in December 2003 and in the 12 months following the ban, 74,000 fixed penalty notices were issued.

Despite the increased punishments, not everyone believes penalties go far enough. Road safety charity Brake said the new measure won't deter motorists from using their mobiles and fines should be increased to £1,000. Police should also have the power to confiscate lawbreakers' mobiles, it said.

A survey by Brake and motoring assistance company Green Flag found that around half of drivers claim to talk or text whilst on the road and 61 per cent of drivers believe they have a less than 10 per cent chance of getting caught.