New drivers face losing licence if they are caught using mobiles behind the wheel

Tougher sanctions: Drivers face six point penalty for using mobiles at the wheel
PA Wire
Jamie Micklethwaite17 September 2016

New drivers could have their licence revoked if they are caught using their mobile at the wheel.

Punishments for motorists using handheld phones at the wheel are set to double to six points and a £200 fine under new laws.

This would mean that new drivers could lose their licence if they are caught at using a mobile at the wheel within two years of passing the test.

AA president Edmund King said: "This is radical. One text and you're out. But if we are to change the attitudes of young drivers maybe it has to be that harsh.

"They are going to have to turn off their phones at the wheel otherwise they will be taken off the road."

New drivers have their licence revoked if they get six points within two years of passing the test.

More experienced motorists can lose their licence if they accrue 12 penalty points within a three-year period.

RAC research published earlier this week suggested that illegal mobile phone use is on the rise.

Almost a third of motorists admitted to using a handheld phone behind the wheel compared to just eight per cent in 2014 the survey of 1,714 UK motorists found.

The proportion of drivers who confessed to sending a message or posting on social media rose from 7 per cent to 19 per cent over the same period.

Some 14 per cent of motorists even owned up to taking photographs or videos with their phone while driving.

Department for Transport figures show that a driver impaired or distracted by their phone was a contributory factor in 492 accidents in Britain in 2014, including 21 that were fatal and 84 classed as serious.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling pledged to introduce tougher sanctions for illegal mobile phone use as soon as possible.

He said: “As technology develops, mobile phones are common place, but we need to take responsibility for our actions and as drink or drug driving has become socially unacceptable, so must using mobile phones at the wheel.

"It may seem harmless when you are replying to a text, answering a call or using an app, but the truth is your actions could kill and cause untold misery to others.

"We all have a part to play in ensuring our family and friends do not use their phones while driving. I will be announcing a tougher new penalty regime shortly."

The proposals go further than a Government consultation launched in December 2015 which suggested raising penalty points to just four and increasing fines to £150.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in