30% fall in motorists using phone at wheel after Mail’s campaign
THE number of drivers convicted of using their mobile phones at the wheel fell by almost a third last year.
Official figures show 8,330 were found guilty of the offence in 2017, down from 11,961 the previous year.
The drop of more than 30 per cent coincides with the introduction of tougher penalties in March last year for using a handheld mobile phone while driving.
The number prosecuted for the offence also fell 30 per cent from 12,853 to 9,039, meaning the conviction rate is 92 per cent.
The figures from the Ministry of Justice show that a total of 86 per cent of drivers prosecuted for using their phone at the wheel were men.
The introduction of tougher penalties followed the Mail’s End the Mobile Madness campaign, which highlighted the shocking scale of the problem and a spate of deaths caused by drivers
distracted while using their phone at the wheel.
Police forces vowed to take a tougher stance on the offence after being accused of turning a blind eye in too many cases.
Motorists who use a phone while
driving now face six points on their licence and a £200 fine – up from the previous three points and £100. Those caught using their mobile twice or accruing 12 points on their licence face being disqualified and fines of up to £1,000.
Jack Cousens, of the AA, said: ‘Campaigns by both the AA and the Mail have clearly contributed towards the reduction of people being presented at court for using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel, which has dropped by more than a quarter. As we continue to make using a handheld mobile behind the wheel as socially unacceptable as drink-driving, we would hope to see an even bigger reduction in those going to court throughout 2018.’ He added: ‘You are twice as likely to crash while text- driving as drink-driving, so the best way for drivers to avoid picking up their phone is to turn the phone off before their journey and convert their glove box into a phone box.’
Despite the figures being hailed as a success, there are concerns that the fall in convictions could also be due to fewer people being caught after a drop in the number of frontline traffic police officers. The number of road police officers fell by nearly a third between 2007 and 2017, from 3,766 to 2,643.
A poll of 19,500 drivers carried out by the AA found two-thirds of motorists think they can get away with careless driving due to a lack of police on the roads.
The official figures also revealed a drop in convictions for speeding, drink-driving and failing to stop or provide information after a crash.
Despite a rise in car thefts, the number of people convicted of the crime fell more than 10 per cent last year to 4,441.
Speeding accounted for just over half (51 per cent) of the 664,000 drivers prosecuted for motoring offences last year.
The number of prosecutions for causing death or injury by dangerous driving hit 900, the highest level in a decade.
Steve Double, a Tory member of the Commons transport committee, said: ‘I’ve been out with the police and it’s clear they take a hard line on anyone they see using their phone while driving.
‘These figures are encouraging. A combination of greater awareness and tougher penalties does seem to be working.’
‘Turn their glove box into a phone box’ Mobiles cause one road death every ten days 6,000 drivers caught on phone twice