Drivers should put their mobile phone in the glove box before starting the engine, the Transport Secretary said last Sunday.
Chris Grayling called for a radical change in attitudes, warning that texting, phoning or checking social media at the wheel was as unacceptable as drink-driving.
Speaking ahead of a Government crackdown, he warned that offenders could start to face automatic bans. On Wednesday the penalties for using a handheld mobile at the wheel will double. This means drivers face a £200 fine and six points on their licence if they are caught.
The six-point penalty effectively creates a ‘two strikes and you’re out’ policy because 12 points usually leads to a driving ban. The new penalties will be accompanied by a publicity blitz.
Using a mobile phone at the wheel was outlawed a decade ago as evidence emerged of the impact it has on concentration. But the ban is widely flouted.
A study by the motoring group found that a third of drivers had used a handheld phone to make a call while at the wheel. Half admitted they had used their phones in stationary traffic, which is also illegal.Critics claim that cuts to traffic police numbers mean that drivers can continue using their phones with impunity. Figures last year showed that the number of fines handed out has plummeted by 86 per cent over the past five years.
