One in three Britons have backed new proposals to confiscate mobile phones from drivers if they use them at the wheel as police forces begin to crack down on rule breakers.
Drivers in support of the new confiscation scheme suggested that drivers should need to pay a fine to get their phone back.
The harsher punishments for using a mobile device in a vehicle would be on top of the existing £200 fine and six points on a licence to help deter people from breaking the rules.
The confiscation follows research which suggested the current fine was too lenient and did not do enough to prevent drivers from using their phones behind the wheel.
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Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at IAM RoadSmart, which conducted the research, said: “Using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel is illegal and dangerous and many drivers want police forces to prioritise enforcement against these offenders.
“Moreover, the idea of confiscation of phones and paying an additional fine for its return has the backing of a surprisingly sizeable number of drivers.
“While we are never going to see a cop on every corner, camera technology is already being trialled in some parts of the country and could be rolled out nationally subject to Home Office-type approval and the final trial findings.
“We have seen the tragic consequences of drivers using their phones at the wheel in high-profile cases such as that on the M66 where a young driver filmed himself travelling at catastrophic speeds resulting in the death of Frankie Jules-Hough and her unborn child.”
The survey found that only four per cent of people thought taking the phone away was too harsh, while 42 per cent said it didn’t go far enough.
For those wanting harsher punishments, 34 per cent said an instant six-month driving ban and an unlimited fine could help prevent drivers from using devices.
This was followed by a £1,000 fine and six points on a licence, which was seen as the next most popular potential penalty for bad drivers.
According to a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA, 34,738 drivers were issued with a penalty in 2022 for illegally using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel.
Lyes added: “The Government should review the fine level alongside type-approving new camera technology to improve detection.
“These actions should be supported by a renewed high-profile education campaign highlighting the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving and consider the merits of offering more training courses.
“Ultimately, we need to break the cycle of phone addition once drivers get behind the wheel as it is a serious distraction that can have tragic results.”
The research also detailed how a majority of drivers (80 per cent) consider phone use by other motorists as a threat to their own personal safety, with a quarter now believing it to be a top-three priority for road policing.
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Drivers caught on their phone face a £200 penalty
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New drivers caught breaking the rules within two years of passing their practical test risk having their licence revoked if the police see them on their phones.