This is yet just another money cow for the government? Why dont we just ban people who use the phone while driving? First offence (One month ban) second offence six months third offence two year ban .plus the fine .This would stop the use of phones while driving.

These fines & penalty points should be doubled if there is also a dog running about loose in the car or hanging its head out of the window. Dogs are a terrible distraction for drivers whilst bounding about unfettered in the confines of a car & if the owner is also using a mobile phone while driving it must be impossible to give their driving any concentration at all. In fact it should be made illegal to carry a dog which is not enclosed in a cage & in the boot of the car.

As well as the fine and points, why not confiscate and crush the phone. That's likely to have a greater impact and demonstrate that it isn't just a money-making exercise. How did we manage before mobile phones!!

I see SCORES & SCORES of people using their mobile phones while driving, EVERY single day, and it makes me very angry.

We should have a system where responsible citizens can phone the police with the time, date and vehicle registration. It should be easy for the authorities to check the owner of the vehicle and their phone record to see if they were making or receiving a call at that time, and then mail them a fixed penalty notice.

With ALL serious motoring offences, like Dangerous Driving, and Driving While Under the Influence ...... a SECOND Offence should result in a LIFETIME BAN !

It will do wonders for the CONGESTION PROBLEM and for Road Safety Too ! .... by taking the WORST Drivers off the road, instead of the governments policy of forcing the POOREST Motorists off the road.

The offence is a serious one, with people being injured, and even killed, through someone else's thoughtlessness and selfishness. Therefore, the increase in penalty is welcome. However, there are a number of issues:
How many will actually be caught and penalised? (I suspect not that many)
Those that can afford the fine will pay up but learn no lesson from the experience.
Those that cannot afford to pay the fine simply will not, and in most cases no further action will be taken against them.
So, not much of a deterrent.

The most effective change will be the 3 points on their driving licence. If they do not learn the necessary lesson then at least, once they get to 12 points, they can be disqualified from driving and there will be one less inconsiderate idiot on the roads for a time.

Far better if there were more police patrol cars deterring or catching offenders and subsequently prosecuting them and bringing them before the courts where they can be dealt with in a more 'just' fashion.

I take it this also applies to the police and Taxi Drivers when they use there radioes and Phones, or is it just the poor old motorist paying up again to keep this country solvent, and pay for the Iraq war.

I'm not at all concerned about drivers using a mobile phone whilst driving. UK roads are the safest they have ever been, and using a phone is no big deal.

Agree hand held mobiles are dangerous and is a phone call more important than a person`s life?

Driver have been using Citizens Band (CB) radio for years. In America everyone is able to call all the time.

Just what is the information of which this judgment is made?

Who is making the judgement and what will they gain?

What is the increase in the overall risk?

Why not present the unspun unvarnished and facts ask the population by e-mail?