“Big surge” in north-west drivers caught using phones at the wheel
Date: 01/05/2008 12:00:00
New police figures from one region show almost 40 drivers a day were caught using their mobile phones while driving in 2006.
The Liverpool Daily Post reports Merseyside Police fined 8,800 motorists while Cheshire Police nabbed 4,985 that year for the offence.
Both figures are vast increases on the 2005 stats for the respective forces.
Merseyside Police chief inspector Chris Markey told the paper: "We hope to show the motoring public our commitment in enforcement of road traffic offences."
The news is likely to be of interest to car insurance customers, particularly those living in the north-west, as the figures are reportedly both more than 50 per cent greater than the 2005 totals for both forces.
According to the paper, the increases far outstrip an overall 30.1 per cent 2006 rise in fines for the offence across the whole of England and Wales.
Drivers caught using a mobile at the wheel face a £60 fixed penalty notice plus three points on their licence.