How much you can really be penalised for using a mobile phone while...

Mobile phone driving laws changed just over a year ago increasing the amount of money and penalty points motorists will land for an offence. Drivers can land six penalty points and a £200

fine for being caught - which is enough to see a new motorist land an instant driving ban. However, a new study has revealed that less than two-thirds of motorists could correctly identify

what the punishments for an offence are. A new study by the RAC of 2,000 UK drivers found just 36 per cent of motorists surveyed knew the fine and point endorsements. In addition to this a

quarter (26 per cent) were not aware the penalties became more severe in March 2017. Around a third of drivers do not believe that these punishments are a severe enough deterrent to stop

people offending, but suggested that more visible enforcement of the law is the key to getting people to change their behaviour, opposed to larger fines. Eighteen per cent of drivers are

advocates for blocking of mobile phone signals within cars altogether. Shockingly, new figures have revealed that the number of fatal collisions caused by motorists using a mobile phone

while driving is rising. There were 32 fatal collisions in 2016, up from 22 the year before, and a total of 2,210 collisions of all severities where a mobile phone was involved between 2012

and 2016. Previous RAC research also suggests that around nine million UK motorists habitually use a handheld phone while driving. RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said: “Despite

extensive publicity and awareness-raising campaigns run at both a local and national level, it is remarkable that such a high proportion of drivers seemingly remain unaware of the current

penalties for using a handheld phone at the wheel.  “The law around handheld phone use by drivers, and the penalties associated with ignoring it could not be clearer. "Yet every year

there are dozens of fatal crashes caused by motorists who have allowed themselves to be distracted by their phone – and our own data suggests millions of drivers are continuing to put

themselves and others at risk in this way. “Our research clearly shows motorists believe the key to ending other drivers’ dangerous handheld phone use is greater enforcement and that tougher

penalties are really only part of the answer. "This makes sense – despite the increased penalties there remains a hard core of drivers who continue to ignore the law and all the risks

associated with handheld phone use. “What is also clear is that some drivers have a genuine addiction to their phone, given how many are prepared to use it illegally despite fearing they

will get caught by the police. "And the fact the vast majority of drivers who admit to offending do so when on their own suggests it is something they don’t really want others to see

them doing. “Picking up and using a handheld phone while driving is a personal choice that motorists make, albeit a dangerous and illegal one. "While it is reassuring that a good number

of motorists have decided to make a positive choice and stop doing it, there is still much more to be done to make everyone else change their behaviour.”  Chief Constable Anthony Bangham,

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Roads Policing, added: “The law surrounding mobile phone use behind the wheel has been widely publicised, and the increase in penalties last year is

representative of how prevalent this dangerous practice is. "However, notwithstanding the legal repercussions, the main thing we want drivers to do is arrive safely at their

destinations. “When you are driving, the priority should be the safety of yourself, your passengers, and your fellow road users. Whatever is happening on your mobile phone can always wait.”