Texting drivers to lose licence under new UK rules

New drivers in the UK will lose their licence if they are caught using their mobile phones within two years of qualifying under tougher driving rules that came into force in the country today.

Penalties for others using a phone, even if it is to send a single text, at the wheel have also doubled starting along with a fine of 200 pounds.

New drivers who get six points or more on their licence for breach of rules will have to retake their practical and theory exams to re-qualify to drive and more experienced drivers can be banned if they get 12 points in three years.
 

"Our message is simple and clear: do not get distracted by your mobile phone while driving. It may seem innocent, but holding and using your phone at the wheel risks serious injury and even death to yourself and other road users," said UK transport secretary Chris Grayling.

"Doubling penalties will act as a strong deterrent to motorists tempted to pick up their phone while driving and will also mean repeat offenders could find themselves banned from our roads if they are caught twice.

"Everyone has a part to play in encouraging their family and friends not to use their phones while driving - it is as inexcusable as drink driving," he said.

The tougher punishments come alongside a hard-hitting advertising campaign aimed at discouraging phone use developed by the government's road safety group Think! and the AA Charitable Trust, and will be shown at cinemas and on billboards, radio and social media.

A consultation last year on proposed tougher penalties for using a mobile while driving received almost unanimous support, the UK's Department for Transport said.

Chief constable Suzette Davenport, the head of roads policing on the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: "These new penalties reflect the seriousness of the offence and will strengthen the deterrent against using a mobile phone at the wheel.

"We need people to understand that this is not a minor offence that they can get away with."

Police forces across Britain also began a seven-day crackdown today, with extra patrols and an "increased focus" on stopping people using their phones while driving.