Almost 50 drivers were caught every hour during a police crackdown on the illegal use of mobile phones at the wheel.

Officers handed out 7,966 fixed penalty notices for the offence in a week-long campaign in November. The tally – equivalent to a rate of 47 an hour – is the highest yet for a week of enforcement on “distraction driving”. By comparison, the totals for three previous initiatives were 2,690 in May 2015, 2,276 in September 2015, and 2,323 in May last year. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) released the figures in advance of a fresh clampdown which starts on Monday.

Thirty-six forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland took part in the November campaign, stopping 10,012 vehicles. As well as detecting nearly 8,000 mobile phone offences, police delivered hundreds of verbal warnings while 68 court summonses were issued. Officers also identified 117 other “distraction” offences.

It is illegal to use a handheld phone while driving, with those falling foul of the rules facing penalty points and a fine. Calls for efforts to curb the practice intensified last year in the wake of high-profile cases and research indicating that it is widespread.

This week, constabularies around the country will be running targeted operations and education campaigns. The crackdown will include patrols using unmarked vans, high vantage points and helmet cameras, as well as community “spotters” to highlight hotspots and report repeat offenders to police.

Suzette Davenport, the NPCC lead for roads policing, said: “This week, forces will be working to make driving distracted as socially unacceptable as drink-driving through enforcing strong deterrents and powerful messages to make people think twice about their driving habits.

“Encouraging results from last year’s campaign against mobile phone use show how effective new tactics and innovative approaches can be. Officers will continue to use intelligence-led tactics to target police activity and resources and catch repeat offenders.

“Forces will be working throughout the year to tackle this behaviour by motorists with national partners and the public. Remember: when at the wheel, your calls or texts can wait. Keep your eyes on the road.”

Under plans announced last year, the Department for Transport will introduce legislation doubling the punishment for using a handheld mobile phone while driving – with the fine rising from £100 to £200 and penalty points increasing from three to six.

Ministers have also set out proposals under which motorists who cause death while on a mobile phone will face tougher sentences.

On 10/10/2023 05:32 pm, Simon Mason wrote:
> Almost 50 drivers were caught every hour during a police crackdown on the illegal use of mobile phones at the wheel.
>
> Officers handed out 7,966 fixed penalty notices for the offence in a week-long campaign in November. The tally – equivalent to a rate of 47 an hour – is the highest yet for a week of enforcement on “distraction driving”. By comparison, the totals for three previous initiatives were 2,690 in May 2015, 2,276 in September 2015, and 2,323 in May last year. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) released the figures in advance of a fresh clampdown which starts on Monday.
>
> Thirty-six forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland took part in the November campaign, stopping 10,012 vehicles. As well as detecting nearly 8,000 mobile phone offences, police delivered hundreds of verbal warnings while 68 court summonses were issued. Officers also identified 117 other “distraction” offences.
>
> It is illegal to use a handheld phone while driving, with those falling foul of the rules facing penalty points and a fine. Calls for efforts to curb the practice intensified last year in the wake of high-profile cases and research indicating that it is widespread.
>
> This week, constabularies around the country will be running targeted operations and education campaigns. The crackdown will include patrols using unmarked vans, high vantage points and helmet cameras, as well as community “spotters” to highlight hotspots and report repeat offenders to police.
>
> Suzette Davenport, the NPCC lead for roads policing, said: “This week, forces will be working to make driving distracted as socially unacceptable as drink-driving through enforcing strong deterrents and powerful messages to make people think twice about their driving habits.
>
> “Encouraging results from last year’s campaign against mobile phone use show how effective new tactics and innovative approaches can be. Officers will continue to use intelligence-led tactics to target police activity and resources and catch repeat offenders.
>
> “Forces will be working throughout the year to tackle this behaviour by motorists with national partners and the public. Remember: when at the wheel, your calls or texts can wait. Keep your eyes on the road.”
>
> Under plans announced last year, the Department for Transport will introduce legislation doubling the punishment for using a handheld mobile phone while driving – with the fine rising from £100 to £200 and penalty points increasing from three to six.
>
> Ministers have also set out proposals under which motorists who cause death while on a mobile phone will face tougher sentences.

How about those chavs who cause death while on a fairy-cycle?

More than 50 drivers a day are still being caught using their mobiles at the wheel – putting lives at risk.

The number of motorists captured by police has doubled in some areas despite the recent introduction of tougher penalties.

Official figures released by the Home Office show the number of fines issued for using a hand-held device has gone up by 10 per cent across England and Wales in a year.

More than 50 drivers a day are still being caught using their mobiles at the wheel – putting lives at risk.

The number of motorists captured by police has doubled in some areas despite the recent introduction of tougher penalties.

Official figures released by the Home Office show the number of fines issued for using a hand-held device has gone up by 10 per cent across England and Wales in a year. But road safety campaigners fear the figures could be the tip of the iceberg because police had fewer opportunities during the pandemic to catch drivers calling, texting or scrolling at the wheel due to the lockdowns which saw traffic plunge to 50 per cent of normal levels.

In some force areas, there was a dramatic rise in drivers being caught in the year to December 31, 2021, the latest figures available.

Cheshire Police recorded a doubling in penalties from 516 in 2020 to 1,031 drivers penalised last year.

Derbyshire Police also doubled the number of fines handed out from 57 in 2020 to 114 last year.

Scotland Yard caught the largest number of drivers, with 4,196 fined for using their mobiles last year, an 18 per cent rise on the previous year.

More than 1,000 fines were also handed out by officers in West Yorkshire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

Hand-held hazard: Drivers face a £200 fine and six points on their licence

But analysis of the figures by the AA also suggest that enforcement is not a priority in some forces.

Suffolk Police has handed out a total of only 22 penalties in the last three years, with officers stopping only six drivers on their phones in 2021.

The Daily Mail’s End The Mobile Madness campaign succeeded in tougher penalties for drivers who recklessly put the lives of others at risk by using their phones.

Following a change in the law in March, motorists can be stopped if they use a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel for any use, not just for telephoning someone.

This includes taking photos or videos, scrolling through music playlists, using sat nav, streaming services or playing games.

Drivers face a £200 fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence.

Since 2003 it has been an offence to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving in Britain, but the law was tightened after many motorists avoided prosecution by arguing they were not using it for ‘interactive communication’.

Despite this, thousands of drivers still continue to flout the ban including prominent figures.

Last month Security Minister Tom Tugendhat MP was handed a six-month driving ban after being caught using his phone.

Now MPs and road safety campaigners are calling for greater police enforcement, saying abuse is still ‘rampant’ on the roads.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: ‘These figures are deeply worrying. Drivers are clearly not getting the message. It suggests the number of accidents will also be going up.

‘The issue is people don’t think they will be caught if there isn’t a visible policing presence on the roads.

‘But officers up and down the country are too tied up in bureaucracy and paperwork rather than getting out there on the streets.
TWO-WEEK-OLD BABY DIED IN HIT-AND-RUN MOBILE CRASH

James Davis, 36, killed a two-week-old baby after driving at 67mph in a 30mph zone and crashing into a pram

James Davis, 36, killed a two-week-old baby after driving at 67mph in a 30mph zone and crashing into a pram

A hit-and-run driver was jailed for killing a two-week-old baby after crashing into a pram while he was on the phone.

James Davis, 36, was driving an unregistered BMW when he hit a car and mounted the pavement, killing Ciaran Leigh Morris on Easter Sunday last year.

Davis, who had an appalling record of driving offences, fled the scene in Brownhills, near Walsall, leaving the baby dying and his mother with a broken collar bone.

He was sentenced to six and a half years at Wolverhampton Crown Court in April for causing death by dangerous driving while uninsured, but this was increased to ten years after appeal after Suella Braverman QC, then attorney general, argued it was ‘unduly lenient’.

‘These figures show increasing the penalty is not enough, we must see more visible policing as a deterrent.’

According to the road safety campaign Think, drivers are four times more likely to be in a crash if they are using a phone.

Reaction times are two times slower if you text and drive using a hands-free phone than if you drink drive, and this increases to three times if you are holding the device.

In 2020, 17 people were killed on Britain’s roads in crashes involving drivers distracted by mobile phones.

A further 114 people were seriously hurt and 385 were slightly injured, Department for Transport figures show.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, who analysed the figures, said yesterday: ‘Although fines for mobile phone use while driving continue their painfully slow decline, latest statistics from the Home Office show that abuse last year was still rampant.

‘It is likely that illegal mobile phone use was worse than the figures suggest as the police were often tied up enforcing the lockdown – and many drivers probably thought they could get away with the offence because they expected to see fewer cops out on the road.

‘Figures for 2022 could be a watershed moment for showing how well the message not to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving is being respected by drivers.

‘The law surrounding mobile phone use while driving has evolved to meaning just holding a device is enough to be penalised.’

Distraction: Drivers are four times as likely to be in a crash if they are using a phone, research shows

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, chief constable Jo Shiner, said: ‘We remain committed to reducing the harm caused by distracted driving. Through the NPCC strategy Policing our Roads Together we co-ordinate a national campaign each year to remind drivers of both the penalties for and the consequences of, using their mobile phone illegally.

‘However, police officers take robust action to prosecute offenders every day and will continue to do so.

‘Personal responsibility is the starting point for safer roads. Abiding by the laws of the road, which are designed first and foremost to protect life, reduces the chances of being killed or seriously injured in a collision or causing a fatal or serious collision.

‘Mobile phones have many more and more distracting features, it’s illegal to hold and use a phone while driving or riding a motorcycle. This means you must not use a device in your hand for any reason, whether online or offline. The penalty for this can be you losing your licence.

‘Our message remains simple, a moment’s distraction can change innocent lives forever, don’t take the risk.’

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> In the past decade at least 205 people have been killed in Britain in
> crashes involving drivers using handheld phones.

This is where the cycling community’s standard reason to counter
legislation regarding killing pedestrians can get trotted out: “Well, it’s
only a handful, innit”.

Interestingly, 205 people being killed over a ten-year period is the same
as the number of cyclists in that time frame who are killed in
single-vehicle accidents. The cycling world isn’t clamouring for anything
to be done about it, unsurprisingly, so why are they so concerned about
this?

--
Spike

A new campaign is warning drivers across Lichfield and Burntwood not to use their mobile phones while driving.

Staffordshire Police said a crackdown was taking place alongside a national scheme highlighting the dangers of using mobiles behind the wheel.

Although it has been an offence since 2003, legislation introduced in 2017 means drivers caught now receive six points and a £200, while new drivers would lose their licence.

Figures revealed that 859 drivers were prosecuted across the Staffordshire Police during 2021 – with almost half of those driving a commercial vehicle at the time.

Inspector Mark Joynson said:

“Any kind of phone use can be distracting, taking your eyes off the road, even for a couple of seconds to check a notification or skip songs, can be dangerous as you can’t concentrate on two things at once..

“Using handsfree systems can be distracting too, so the safest thing to do is avoid using your mobile while driving and be phone free.

“Your friends, family, or work colleagues won’t mind waiting for a text, call or message if you’re driving – they would rather you got to your destination safely than not at all. If you need to make a call or text, park up somewhere safely and turn the ignition off.

“If you’re caught using a phone at the wheel you could receive six points and a fine, and new drivers even have their licence removed by the courts.

“The message is simple, help us make Staffordshire’s roads safer by going phone free.”

Drivers will be banned from using hand-held mobile phones as the government closes a loophole that allows motorists to check social media.

Calling and texting on hand-held phones while driving is already illegal, unless there is an emergency. But the changes mean it will soon be against the law for motorists to use a hand-held phone for virtually any reason behind the wheel.

From 2022, offenders face a £200 fine and six points on their licence for using a device to take photos or videos, play games or scroll through playlists.

The Highway Code will be updated to make it clear that being stationary in traffic counts as driving – and that handheld mobile phone use at traffic lights or in motorway jams is illegal except in very limited circumstances.

Motorists will still be allowed to use hands-free devices such as sat-navs and mobile phones if they are secured in a cradle. But they can face charges if police find them not in proper control of their vehicle.
The measures are being brought in following a public consultation showing overwhelming support for proposals to strengthen the law.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “Too many deaths and injuries occur whilst mobile phones are being held.

“By making it easier to prosecute people illegally using their phone at the wheel, we are ensuring the law is brought into the 21st Century while further protecting all road users.”

The move follows years of campaigning from relatives of people killed by drivers using mobile phones at the wheel.

Mary Williams, chief executive of the road safety charity Brake, said the changes would were “very welcome” –especially “by families suffering bereavement and catastrophic injury due to drivers being distracted by phones”.

Motoring organisations have also welcomed the move. The RAC’s road safety spokesman Simon Williams called for the new law to be “vigorously enforced”.

He said: “As our phones have become more sophisticated, the law has not kept pace and this has allowed some drivers who have been using their handheld phones for purposes other than communicating to exploit a loophole and avoid the maximum penalty.

“Our research suggests that more than one-in-10 younger drivers admit to taking a photo or video while driving, while 6% say they have played a game.

“While today’s announcement is clearly good news, it’s absolutely vital that the new law is vigorously enforced otherwise there’s a risk that it won’t deliver the sort of behaviour change that will make our roads safer.”

President of the AA Edmund King said: “By making mobile phone use as socially unacceptable as drink-driving, we are taking big steps to make our roads safer. For years, the AA has campaigned hard and helped educate drivers to the dangers from bad mobile phone use.

“To help ensure drivers get the message, we also need more cops in cars to help catch and deter those still tempted to pick up.”

Simon Mason <swldxer1961@gmail.com> wrote:

In a desperate attempt to gain attention, Mason posts an article from
Friday 19 November 2021

> Drivers will be banned from using hand-held mobile phones as the
> government closes a loophole that allows motorists to check social media.

--
Spike

A new campaign is warning drivers across Lichfield and Burntwood not to use their mobile phones while driving.

Staffordshire Police said a crackdown was taking place alongside a national scheme highlighting the dangers of using mobiles behind the wheel.

Although it has been an offence since 2003, legislation introduced in 2017 means drivers caught now receive six points and a £200, while new drivers would lose their licence.

Figures revealed that 859 drivers were prosecuted across the Staffordshire Police during 2021 – with almost half of those driving a commercial vehicle at the time.

Inspector Mark Joynson said:

“Any kind of phone use can be distracting, taking your eyes off the road, even for a couple of seconds to check a notification or skip songs, can be dangerous as you can’t concentrate on two things at once..

“Using handsfree systems can be distracting too, so the safest thing to do is avoid using your mobile while driving and be phone free.

“Your friends, family, or work colleagues won’t mind waiting for a text, call or message if you’re driving – they would rather you got to your destination safely than not at all. If you need to make a call or text, park up somewhere safely and turn the ignition off.

“If you’re caught using a phone at the wheel you could receive six points and a fine, and new drivers even have their licence removed by the courts.

“The message is simple, help us make Staffordshire’s roads safer by going phone free.”
Inspector Mark Johnson, Staffordshire Police

Of the figures released on those prosecuted in Staffordshire during 2021, 87% of the offenders were men.

https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/2022/02/19/new-crackdown-on-drivers-using-phones-at-the-wheel-as-figures-reveal-numbers-prosecuted-across-staffordshire/

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> A new campaign is warning drivers across Lichfield and Burntwood not to
> use their mobile phones while driving.

It isn’t new, it’s more stale news from Mason:

“by Lichfield Live 19th February, 2022”

> https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/2022/02/19/new-crackdown-on-drivers-using-phones-at-the-wheel-as-figures-reveal-numbers-prosecuted-across-staffordshire/

--
Spike

Penalties for using your mobile phone whilst driving or riding a motorcycle have increased to 6 points on your licence and a £200 fine. This means that new drivers who passed their driving test within the last 2 years will lose their licence and fully qualified drivers will be half way to a 6-month licence ban, if a further 6 points are accumulated within 3 years. You may also be liable for a maximum fine of £1,000 or £2,500 if you are driving a lorry or bus.

Which devices am I not allowed to use?

The term “mobile phone” may mean more than you think. The law applies to any device capable of communicating through mobile networks, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, including but not limited to: smartphones, tablets and iPods. Whilst mobile phone use is illegal when driving or riding a motorcycle, the law still applies if you are stopped at traffic lights, queuing in traffic or supervising a learner driver.

What is meant by mobile phone “use”?

The word “use” includes, but is not limited to: telephone calling (including holding your phone out on loudspeaker), text messaging, watching videos, searching on the internet and posting on or scrolling through social media. Therefore, you should think twice before changing music tracks or volume, playing games and using maps on your mobile device. If you are simply holding your phone, even if you are not using it, it is illegal.

What is allowed?

You may only use your mobile phone if you are safely parked with the engine switched off or if you need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it is unsafe or impractical to stop. Otherwise, you may only use your device if it has hands-free access. You may use the following:



A Bluetooth headset
Voice command
A dashboard holder

Devices with such hands-free access may include: smart watches and other various voice-activated software. Satellite Navigation Systems are also permissible, providing it is mounted in a hands-free holder. Similarly, you can play music in your vehicle but only if mounted in a hands-free holder or connected by Bluetooth. However, in some circumstances, it is still forbidden to use your device even if your phone is mounted in a hands-free holder or connected to Bluetooth, for example, if you are scrolling through social media or searching the internet. You should be aware that you must still be in full control of the vehicle at all times when using hands-free. The police can stop you if they think this is not the case and you may be prosecuted.

If you receive a summons to court in the post or are at risk of accumulating 12 points on your licence, contact our Crime Department for legal advice.