Shocking number of drivers using phones at wheel

THOUSANDS of motorists have been caught using mobile phones while driving across North Wales, figures have revealed.

In the week after Liam Rosney was jailed after killing the mum of Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman when he drove over her moments after using his phone, the Daily Post can reveal that more than 4,000 North Wales motorists have been caught on their phones in just five years.

Rosney, 33, was jailed for driving over Carol Boardman after she fell from her bicycle on a mini-roundabout in Connah’s Quay in 2016.

Moments before he ran over Mrs Boardman, who had been lying on her back, Rosney had been using his mobile phone.

Rosney admitted causing death by careless driving, and was jailed for six months last week.

Figures now show that from 2014 to 2018, North Wales Police (NWP) snared 4,804 motorists suspected of using their mobiles at the wheel and being hit with fines and points on their licence.

But the figures, revealed following a Freedom of Information request, showed a dramatic decline over five years in the numbers being caught.

During 2014, 1,684 motorists were caught, while in 2015 a total of 1,276 were caught.

This declined again in 2016 to 940 and in 2017 to 527.

Last year there were 327 logged by police as being suspected of using cell phones while driving.

In total 1,068 drivers paid fines, 995 ended up in a court hearing, 2,462 completed a training course, 40 cases are still in pro- gress, 24 failed to pay up and 215 had their tickets cancelled.

Safety experts have warned of the dangers of using mobile phones while driving which can lead to accidents and tragedy.

It was highlighted last week when Rosney was jailed.

When he was jailed, Judge Rhys Rowlands told him: “I cannot ignore the reality of the situation that you had just ended a conversation seconds before. The reality is that you were still distracted by that earlier conversation.”

Responding to the figures, Inspector Gareth Jones, from the North Wales Police Roads Policing Unit, said tougher penalties brought in during 2017 for those caught using a mobile could be acting as a deterrent, but there were still some who flouted the law.

In 2007 the law was changed so any driver caught using a mobile would automatically receive three penalty points and a £60 fine which was increased to £100 in 2013.

But from March 2017, the penalty doubled to six points and a £200 fine.

It meant a new driver could be banned after being caught once and an experienced driver losing their licence after two incidents.

Insp Jones said: “Using a mobile phone behind the wheel remains a serious concern to North Wales Police.

“Along with drink driving, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and driving carelessly, using a mobile phone behind the wheel, whether it be texting, using an app, or making a phone call is classed as one of the ‘Fatal 5’; the 5 most common causes of fatal road traffic collisions.”