Drivers ignore phone ban

Date: Tuesday, March 27, 2007

In just one month almost 7,000 drivers have been caught in Scotland and England flouting new, tougher laws set to combat hand-held phone use.

Since 27 February the fine for being caught using a hand-held mobile on the move doubled to £60 and became an endorsable offence with drivers receiving three penalty points for their first offence.

Courts have also been given powers to increase maximum penalties for drivers of buses and HGVs to £1,000 and £2,500 respectively.

The figures for the UK are expected to rise even more dramatically if the Northern Irish, Welsh and London's Met Police choose to release their phone-use conviction statistics.

Road safety group Brake is lobbying for even tougher restrictions, claiming the current penalties are not harsh enough. Brake wants the Government to raise the penalty to six points and a £1,000 fine, a true reflection it says of the potential danger posed by using a hand-held mobile phone on the move.

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