Drivers caught using mobiles falls by half

THE number of motorists caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel has fallen by almost half in four years, it was reported.

More than two-thirds of police forces across the UK recorded a drop in the number of drivers being stopped for mobile phone use since 2011, with one of England’s largest constabularies seeing stops fall by more than 80 per cent.

The figures were revealed after research suggested illegal mobile phone use by drivers is on the rise and ministers agreed to toughen penalties.

Police federation leaders say fewer drivers being caught goes “hand in hand” with a drop in the number of traffic officers due to budget cuts.

Of the 43 police forces in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who were asked by the BBC to release data on mobile phone stops, 37 responded.

The figures showed there were 178,000 people stopped by police in the UK in 2011/12 for using their phones.

This compared to fewer than 95,000 in 2015/16, a drop of just less than 47 per cent.

Jane Willetts, from the Police Federation of England and Wales, told the BBC there were now fewer than 4,000 officers policing the roads – half the figure in 2000.