200 drivers a day caught using mobile phones

A SCHOOL minibus driver was among the almost 200 drivers a day caught using their mobile phones illegally after the introduction of stiffer penalties, police figures have shown.

Figures obtained under Freedom of Information requests disclosed forces in Britain recorded 5,977 instances of the practice in the four weeks after new rules were brought in alongside a nationwide police campaign.

The Metropolitan Police registered 2,037 offences, meaning more than 70 drivers were caught using a hand-held phone on London’s roads each day.

Thames Valley Police recorded the second-largest total at 478, followed by Police Scotland (339), Hampshire Police (280) and Cheshire Police (224).

Incidents reported by police include a man spotted doing his online banking while driving along the M5 near Birmingham.

A driver was also reported to be on his phone while behind the wheel of a school minibus with 10 children on board in Manchester.

From March 1, those who break the rules have faced six points on their licence and a £200 fine – up from three points and £100. The changes mean drivers risk losing their licence for sending a single text.

The RAC Foundation described the increased penalties as “a start”, but warned the figures for March suggest “the key message still isn’t sinking in”.

Jack Kushner, of the safety charity Brake, described the number of drivers “selfishly using their mobile phones behind the wheel” as concerning.

“Driver distraction is a growing menace and it’s worrying that drivers don’t seem to be getting the message,” he said. The charity wants the £200 fine to be “significantly increased” to deter offenders.

In 2015, 22 people were killed and 99 seriously injured on Britain’s roads where a motorist using a mobile was a contributory factor, figures from the Department for Transport show.