Maidenhead & Windsor

The Maidenhead Royal Borough is working with local mobile phone companies in supporting the latest government drive to "get tougher" on motorists using mobile phones while driving.

From next Tuesday (February 27) it's a double whammy for motorists flouting the mobile phone law – with drivers for the first time picking up a fixed penalty of three points on their licence and a doubling of the current fine from £30 to £60.

The new fixed penalties will be automatically handed down to drivers caught using a mobile phone – and they will also apply to drivers deemed not to have proper control of a vehicle by using a hands-free mobile phone.

Maidenhead Royal Borough road safety officers are teaming up with local mobile phone shops and handing out leaflets to spread the message "Dying to Take a Call? – Switch off before you drive off" as part of the national campaign to raise awareness both of the changes in the penalties and the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving.

The new tougher penalties come three years after the Road Safety Act made it illegal to drive while using a handheld mobile – a law which more than 20% of drivers admit to breaking.

Philippa Baxter, Maidenhead road safety officer, said this week: "The fact that nearly a quarter of motorists admit to flouting the current law is enough to justify this tougher crackdown with its much harsher penalties.

"It's commonsense that talking on a mobile phone while driving affects your concentration and your ability to react to dangerous situations. Motorists who continue to use a hand-held phone while driving are putting themselves, their passengers and other road users at risk.

Leaflets and other information will be available from next week through mobile phone shops and libraries across the Maidenhead borough, and there will be a display in the reception area of the Town Hall from February 23 until March 5.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead