Police target motorists driving while using a phone in new campaign

The aim is stop the dangerous minority who do it and highlight the dangers they are posing to themselves and other road users.

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership (LLRRSP) is supporting the three-week National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) campaign this month as a result of increasing concerns about the issue.

Jonathan Clarkson, of the LLRRSP, said: “We aren’t just asking people not to put a phone to their ear.

“We are seeing more drivers looking down to use a handheld phone to use social media apps, select music, check emails or texting while driving when they should be focussing on the road ahead.

“Driving while distracted impairs you to a similar degree to that of a drink driver, you are much less aware of what’s happening on the road around you, you may fail to see road signs, fail to maintain proper lane position and steady speed, are more likely to tailgate the vehicle in front, react more slowly and take longer to brake and you are four times more likely to have a collision.”

Using a mobile phone while driving attracts six points on your licence and a £200 fine and even if you are using a mobile phone legally, if you are driving whilst not being in proper control of your vehicle you could face three points and a £100 fine.

Leicestershire Police welcome members of the public visiting www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/rti/rti-b/report-a-road-traffic-incident to submit any dashcam or GoPro footage they have captured as evidence that could be used to prosecute someone using a phone while driving.

Motorists will still be flouting the law if they are using their mobile phone while stopped at traffic lights, queuing in traffic or supervising a learner driver.

Illegal use of a mobile phone by other drivers has been the top driver concern in the RAC Report on Motoring for four of the last five years.