HUNDREDS OF DRIVERS CAUGHT USING PHONES
HUNDREDS of people have been prosecuted or fined since laws on using mobile phones at the wheel were toughened this year. In March, the punishment for driving while on the phone was doubled to six penalty points – enough to ban those with less than two years’ experience.
Now figures obtained from Wales’ four police forces using the Freedom of Information Act reveal 178 have been seen sent to court and 710 have been fined for the offence.
Gwent Police said 42 had been sent to court while 78 had been fined.
South Wales Police said 22 had been prosecuted but “the amount may increase.” The force said it had handed out 274 tickets.
Nine people had been to court on the Dyfed-Powys Police patch and a further 23 cases could lead to prosecution. A total of 119 drivers have been given tickets.
North Wales Police said 171 drivers had been ticketed and paid up. A total of 52 drivers had been given them and “not yet complied or partly complied”. A further 16 had been cancelled. The force had “processed” 105 drivers for court.
The AA’s roads policy head, Jack Cousens, said: “More than 10 months on drivers are still not getting the message when it comes to using a mobile phone behind the wheel.
“Drivers felt that they could get away with it, but with forces looking to stamp down on this offence people should resist the temptation to peek at their phone. Younger drivers tend to be the ones most likely to offend, as the fear of missing out tempts them into checking their phone while driving, or while sat waiting in traffic.
“The best way to avoid a fine is to turn your glovebox into a phone box. That way the phone is out of sight and out of mind.”
Josh Harris is campaigns director at road safety charity Brake. He believed the numbers caught were the tip of the iceberg.
“Using a mobile phone whilst at the wheel is reckless and highly dangerous, and it is right that the Government introduced tougher penalties in March of this year,” he said. “However, stricter enforcement is required to rid our roads of this threat to road safety. Drivers should believe that if they break the law they will be caught and punished.”
Gwent Police’s Chief Inspector Martyn Smith warned even experienced drivers “can be easily distracted” by a mobile.
“A slight lapse in concentration can have serious consequences,” he said.
“Our main message is clear – keep your eyes on the road.”
Inspector Dave Cust, of North Wales Police roads unit, said mobile use behind the wheel “remains a serious concern”.
“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 five’.”
He said these were the five most common causes of fatal crashes.
“The new penalties that were introduced in March this year reflect the seriousness of the offence and strengthens the deterrent against using a mobile phone behind the wheel,” Insp Cust said. “However, we need people to understand that this is not a minor offence that they can get away with. We’d also like to emphasize that if you are a new driver, and you do receive six points within the first two years of passing your test, then your licence would be revoked by the DVLA.”