As always, we've been amazed in the last couple of days at the number of drivers phoning or texting when driving- and white vans mosre than most. Anyhow, fines in UK going up to £150 (from £100) and number of points on licence from 3 to 4. Will it work? I don't know- but watching people overtakng on the Mway whilst texting is just madness.

I agree, something the Police here should take note of, instead they choose the easy option of deploying more speed camera's.

I find it strange here.. Some things so strict like automated speeding fines.. But some of the driving is terrible, phones, no indicators, people who don't understand the right turn priority, tailgating and most of all -- the drink driving culture.

More here:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35141387

The OH suggested years ago a simple solution. Make mobile phones go unoperable if they sense they're moving at faster than walking pace.

What if you are a passenger? Or in a train or bus?

Still, wouldn't be able to use them. Think how nice and quiet it would be on a bus or train with people not jabbering down their phones all the time. They might even learn to talk to one another face to face again.

hear hear

A German study showed that the standard "Hands Free" kit was of little use, even professional drivers and instructors were unable to cope! The problem was the inattention to the traffic when listening to a message, not the actual handling of the car and the phone together.

Leave the phone on if necessary, but stop later and call them back.

There was a time, many moons ago, when, if you wanted to fit a radio into your car you also needed to install a supressor. This prevented the electrics of the motor interfering with the reception. Clearly this problem has long been solved, but installing some sort of device in cars in the factory to shut off tel. contact shouldn't be so difficult.
Nor should it be difficult to confiscate abusers telephones.
Nor should it be difficult to take away driving licences for a year or two.
Nor should it be difficult to do a lot of things which would have the required effect.
But nobody does anything - about anything.
Raising the fine in the UK from £100 to £150 is laughable.

I remember having to fit a suppressor when fitting a car radio.
Not sure how effective it would be for phones, though - I'm sure a work-round would be found in no time.

Mobile phone use, whilst driving, just requires proper policing. It just seems that traffic police are only interested in making money by stopping motorists committing high fine value offences, and not dealing with general crap driving, which is abundant everywhere.

I, now, breath a sigh of relief if I see a driver with a phone to their ear, because, I think, 'at least they're not texting and looking down into their lap'.

I just find it incredible that many drivers believe that they are competent enough to text and drive at the same time.
In my personal experience, I see more women (probably mothers) texting and driving - they would be first to create an outcry if their own child was in an accident caused by a texting driver.

The only answer is zero tolerance - concentrated policing, high fines and a driving licence suspension.

Yes, the Mythbusters did a programme testing hands free via using a phone while driving and got the same result. Hands free made no difference in driver's attention to what is going on around them. They still made mistakes, hit things, missed turns, etc. They used specific questions that meant drivers had to think about the answers, thereby taking their main attention off the road. More on it here:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...d-mythbusters/

When driving, DON'T phone!