A new law was passed in February promising tougher penalties for those using their phone behind the wheel.
The fine is double what motorists used to face, with scores of people around the country getting a £200 fine and six points on their licence as soon as the law was passed.
That doesn’t just go for talking and texting, but using a mobile phone in any capacity. Like a song that’s on the radio and quickly want to tag it on Shazam? How about going through your albums on Spotify? All will lead to the fine and penalty if caught.
The Department for Transport also believes that younger drivers are more prone to this kind of behaviour too, and has introduced stronger punishments especially for drivers who have recently passed their test.
New drivers who have passed their test within two years of an offence will have their licence revoked by DVLA once they reach the six point mark. It used to be 12 points, showing how seriously the government is taking phone usage behind the wheel.
There’s also no distinction between vehicles in the new rules with car and HGV drivers facing the same charge.
As a driving school, it’s our business to teach our pupils about the dangers of distractions when getting behind the wheel regardless of what the law says and no matter how confident you may feel on the road.
Lanes also goes the extra mile from the theory stage to the test itself to give our pupils as much information and knowledge as we possibly can on road safety laws to keep themselves and other drivers safe.