Even though it has been illegal to use a mobile ‘phone whilst driving since 2003, and although new legislation came into effect in March 2017 which saw increases in penalties, drivers are still seen using hand held mobiles when on the move. The latest government directive has seen penalties increase and now you could be fined £200 and get six points on your licence, if you’re less than two years from passing your test 6 points would mean losing your licence.
Should you refuse or dispute, then this can mean that you could be taken to court, or if the police think the offence is so bad that a fixed penalty isn’t enough you could be taken to court. Fines in court will almost certainly be larger and disqualification is possible, the maximum fine in a court is £1,000, or £2,500 if you were driving a bus or a goods vehicle. If you have to use a hand held mobile then you’ll first have to stop driving, which means parking up safely and legally with the handbrake on and the engine switched off. Police forces in Britain penalised almost 6,000 motorists for the offence in the four weeks after tougher punishments took effect, equivalent to one every seven minutes. Read more here ➟
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