Give drivers using mobiles a three-month ban

IT would appear from the media that West Yorkshire Police has an increasing problem of motorists using mobile phones while driving.

The problem can be alleviated reasonably easily. In the first place, the police should not issue fixed penalty tickets which have a fine of £60 together with three penalty points to be put on the licence of the offending driver.

Instead, every offending driver should be reported for prosecution, summonsed and summarily dealt with in a magistrates’ court.

The penalty for a first offence should be a £250 fine and a disqualification for three months.

I do not think that it would take many reports in the newspapers of such penalties to get the point home to drivers that it is dangerous and could even be disastrous to use a mobile phone while driving.

From: Peter R Hyde, Driffield, East Yorkshire.

I AGREE wholeheartedly with Jayne Dowle (Yorkshire Post, April 21). A few miles an hour on a quiet road can cost you a fine and points on your licence and yet idiots on motorcycles can overtake you at 90mph with complete immunity.

Cameras have no discretion and it seems that some of the officers who operate speed guns don’t have much either. As a former police motorcyclist, I never ever booked anyone for a few miles an hour but I would give them a long lecture and then point out the fact that what they had gained by speeding they had lost by having to listen to me. It was very effective.

Last week, travelling from Scarborough, I was overtaken by a youth on a high-powered motorcycle doing at least the ton. He had no worries about being caught as there are few patrols in that area and yet he was a far greater danger to others than the few miles an hour Jayne did.