Motorists who use their mobile phone while behind the wheel could face tougher penalties in the future under new Government plans.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is considering increasing the current penalty of a £60 fine and three points for drivers who break the law on mobile phone use to four points.
Such a move would mean that motorists caught three times would lose their driving licence, instead of the four convictions that are currently required for a driving ban to be enforced.
A spokesman for the DfT said: "We're reviewing our road safety strategy. We want to do more to discourage people from using their phones when they're driving ."
The move comes after research by the UK's Transport Research Laboratory revealed a significant rise in the use of mobile phones by motorists in London.
The study showed that people who talk or text on their mobile while driving are four times more likely to be involved in a crash than road users who abide the law.
The Department for Transport also states that reaction times for drivers using a hand-held phone are 30 per cent worse than driving under the influence of alcohol at the legal limit.
Mobile Using Drivers To Face Stiffer Penalties
Tue, 19 Jan 2010
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