YP Letters: Hefty phone bill to deter the mobile menaces

Motorists caught using their mobile phone while at the wheel face bigger fines, but do they go far enough?

THE proposed new fines and extra penalty points for those caught using mobiles while driving are another example of the paltry solutions that Government come up with to deal with situations they create.

Certainly the increase in penalty points is a plus, but increasing the fine to a mere £200? These days most people wouldn’t bat an eyelid at that fine when considering what they spend on a good night out with their mates or on other leisure activities. Now, if the fine was to be made an eye-watering £1,000, that would make people sit up and notice once one or two offenders had been caught and fined. Their mobiles ought to be confiscated too, just to make the point!

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

SO the number of points given for driving whilst using a mobile phone at the wheel is to increase to six. Who is going to catch these drivers? Why not use the Australian system whereby members of the public report registration numbers of offenders to the police?

They then receive a letter telling them they have been seen and any further notification will result in a criminal charge. You don’t see many drivers on their phones in Australia.