‘Take phones off texting drivers’

MOTORISTS have backed new powers for police to seize and destroy mobiles being used by drivers at the wheel.

A survey conducted by the AA of more than 20,000 drivers found that 71 per cent believe allowing officers to either confiscate the phone or disable the device for a month would be more of a deterrent than a £200 fine and six points on their licence.

In an indictment of how addicted many people are to their phones, more than six in ten drivers believe even confiscating or disabling them for a week would be more likely to stop people using them while driving than existing penalties.

Following a campaign by the Mail, the penalty for drivers caught using their phone doubled in March last year and it is already having an impact.

The AA’s Edmund King said: ‘ Our previous campaign and advertisement actually showed that you are twice as likely to crash texting as you are drinking.’