Police catch 8,000 drivers using mobile phones at wheel in one week

Police officers handed out 7,966 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for the offence in November

Police officers handed out 7,966 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for the offence in November

Almost 8,000 drivers were caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel during a week-long campaign by police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It is illegal to use a handheld phone while driving, with drivers caught breaking the rules facing penalty points and a fine. 

Officers handed out 7,966 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for the offence in November. The number of FPNs issued, equivalent to a rate of 47 an hour, is the highest yet for a week of enforcement on “distraction driving”.

A total of 68 court summonses were issued and officers delivered hundreds of verbal warnings as well as identifying 117 other distraction offences such as eating while driving.

Police crackdowns on distracted driving saw 2,690 fines issued in May 2015, 2,276 in September 2015 and 2,323 in May last year. However, more forces - 36 in total - had been involved in the latest drive so the results were not directly comparable, said the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC).

The problem of drivers using phones was highlighted intensified last year in the wake of several high-profile cases last year, including that of lorry driver Tomasz Kroker who killed a mother and three children while distracted by his phone. Kroker was jailed for 10 years in October.

Suzette Davenport, NPCC lead for roads policing, said: “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. Officers will continue to use intelligence-led tactics to target police activity and resources and catch repeat offenders.

“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.”

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.