Driver phone crime slumps

THE number of people fined for using their mobile phones while driving has fallen by 59% in five years.

There was a steady drop between 2013 and 2016, from 14,974 to 11,052.

But after higher penalties came in last year, the number caught using mobiles fell to just 6,175.

Bigger penalties for speeding also cut offences by 8%, the research by Warranty Direct found.