DRIVERS are still using their mobile phones behind the wheel despite warnings about the dangers it poses.

Yesterday tougher penalties were introduced but motorists were caught breaking the law just hours after the new rules came into force.

Motorists illegally using a device while driving will now be slapped with six points and a £200 fine – double the previous three points and £100 penalty.

The change in law also means people caught within two years of passing their test will have their licence revoked and must retake their practical and theory exams.

More experienced drivers can be banned if they get 12 points in three years, which can be accumulated if they are caught twice while using a device.

Thames Valley Police officers stopped 11 people during a two-hour window in Ock Street, Abingdon, yesterday morning as the force continues to crack down on motorists breaking the law.

Two drivers, a man and a woman, are now in the process of having their licences revoked following the operation.

Oxford Mail:

TVP Roads Policing Inspector for Oxfordshire Gavin Biggs said the changes in the penalty legislation had been a ‘long time coming’, adding using a phone at the wheel could distract a driver as badly as them being under the influence of alcohol.

He added: “People know it’s an offence to drive while using their mobile phone, yet they continue to do it.

“Our enforcement yesterday shows that we have a strong stance against it and, yes the £200 and six points is quite a sting, but you know the dangers of what you’re doing and that fixed penalty simply reflects the dangers of driving while using your mobile phone.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s social media, phone call, sat nav, whatever other apps you may have on it. If you have it in your hand and you are driving, you are using it. You commit the offence.

“I hope one day we will get to the point where nobody will use their mobile phone while driving. Sadly we are, as you have seen this morning, a long way off that.”

A 19-year-old man was one of the first in yesterday’s operation to have his licence revoked for using a mobile phone.

The driver of the Ford Focus is believed to be one of the first people in the country who will have to retake his test because he passed within the last two years.

He told the Oxford Mail: “I was trying to find a garage for a tyre repair. He has just told me [the new rules] today.

“They [my parents] are going to kill me.”

Another driver of a Suzuki caught said: “It was my stupid mistake. I think the rules are fair. It’s going to stop people.”

Oxford Mail:

Paul Dance, 43, was also pulled up after travelling up from Weston-super-Mare.

He said he had his phone in his gearstick hand while he was using the hands-free system.

He added: “It’s a bit painful to take. I’m a little bit shocked with it. You can’t argue against it.”

Inspector Biggs said officers were finding more people texting and using social media apps on their phones, often hiding it underneath the dashboard.

He added: “They are clearly trying to hide what they are doing. They understand it’s unlawful. They understand it’s dangerous and yet they continue to do it.

“It’s totally inappropriate. I have no sympathy for them.”

In addition to the new laws, Thames Valley Police has instigated its own new rule for the offence.

Drivers will not automatically be offered a driving awareness course as an alternative to a fixed penalty notice.

Between January 1, 2014, and September 30, 2016, there were 145 collisions across Thames Valley where the use of a mobile phone while driving may have been a contributory factor.

During that period, 11 people died and 195 people were injured.

During the same period, a total of 29,564 tickets were issued to drivers found to be using a mobile device while driving.

Supt Simon Dodds, Head of the Joint Roads Policing Unit at TVP, said: “There is never an excuse for someone to be using their mobile phone while driving and this change in legislation sends a clear message that it will not be tolerated.

“All too often, my officers are faced with the devastation caused by motorists who persist in ignoring the dangers and drive while using their handheld phone.

“Lives are tragically lost and families are destroyed by the irresponsible decision to take a call on a handheld device, send a text, or search for music while driving.

“The safest way is to put down your phone, switch it to silent and place it out of sight to ensure that you will not be tempted to pick it up.”

Oxford Mail:

The law

  • The new legislation is being introduced following a series of high-profile cases.
  • It means now the penalty for using a mobile phone at the wheel has doubled, and rules have been especially tightened in Oxfordshire. 
  • Anyone caught using a ‘handheld device’ while driving will face six points on their licence and a £200 fine.
  • New drivers can have their licence revoked if they get six penalty points in their first two years on the road, which could now be the result of sending a single text message.
  • More experienced motorists can lose their licence if they receive 12 points in a three-year period.
  • Previously the offence incurred three points and a £100 fine.
  • TVP has also instigated its own new rule for the offence: drivers will not automatically be offered a driving awareness course as an alternative to a fixed penalty notice.
  • Using hands-free is not illegal. However, if this distracts a driver and affectstheir ability to drive safely, they can still be prosecuted bythe police.