More than 500 motorists were caught using a mobile phone while driving during a two-week All-Wales campaign – but the number is 300 fewer compared with last year.
The enforcement campaign, which ran between 24 September and 7 October, was led by Dyfed Powys Police and involved officers from all four Welsh police forces and GoSafe. Officers carried out proactive patrols to target motorists who “endangered other road users”, and to make drivers aware of the penalties they face if caught.
During the campaign, officers detected a total of 571 mobile phone driving offences throughout Wales and issued 177 warnings. Dyfed-Powys Police caught and dealt with 388 offenders, while in the Gwent area a total of 67 were caught. North Wales Police caught 59 motorists and in South Wales 57 offenders were apprehended.
During the 2014 campaign officers detected a total of 914 mobile phone driving offences throughout Wales, broken down as follows: Dyfed-Powys 447, Gwent 72, North Wales 53 and South Wales 342.
Deputy chief constable Carl Langley, National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) All-Wales lead on roads policing, said: “Although fewer motorists were caught in this year’s campaign, it remains a serious concern that so many drivers choose to risk becoming involved in a serious or fatal collision due to using a mobile phone whilst driving. Even the most experienced or competent of drivers can be easily distracted and a slight lapse in concentration can have devastating consequences.
“Taking such a risk is totally unacceptable, and this is why officers from all four Welsh forces will continue to carry out proactive patrols to target motorists who endanger themselves and other road users. No call, text, app, or email is that important – they must all wait until you’ve stopped driving.”
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