From Daily Telegraph:
The penalty for using mobile telephones while driving will be raised
to £60 with a three-point licence endorsement after Government
research found that current sanctions were inadequate.
A study carried out for the Department for Transport found that
motorists' use of hand-held mobiles had fallen only 25 per cent since
the practice was made illegal last December.
Drivers are still using mobile phones while on the move
At present offenders face a £30 fine without penalty points. Ministers
believe that the tougher punishment, expected to be included in a road
safety bill in the new session of Parliament, will be more of a
deterrent for the millions of drivers ignoring the existing law.
If the bill completes its passage before an expected spring general
election, the measure is likely to come into effect about 12 months
from now.
However, there remain doubts about the level of enforcement which -
unlike speeding or bus lane infringements - is dependent on police
patrols rather than cameras or number-plate recognition technology.
Independent surveys suggest that even in highly populated areas, such
as Greater London and the Thames Valley, the number of prosecutions
averages between six and nine each day, indicating a nationwide total
of below 400. The number of automatic fines issued for speeding is
about 8,000.
The research, carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory, was
based on observation of traffic at 30 different locations during
September.
Lord Davies of Oldham, the Government transport spokesman in the House
of Lords, said the change in motorists' behaviour "has not been as
good as we would have hoped".
According to the Government, making or taking calls or texts makes a
driver four times more likely to be involved in an accident.