Police catch Cambridgeshire drivers on their mobiles as new campaign is launched

Police have released video footage of drivers caught using their mobile behind the wheel – as a life saving new campaign has been launched.

The police campaign begins today (Monday, 20 February) enforcing stricter rules on mobile phone use whilst driving.

As part of the campaign, police have released CCTV footage of drivers caught on their phone on Cambridgeshire Roads – and warned that by using a mobile behind the wheel, you could be putting lives at risk.

Officers will be carrying out more checks in Cambridgeshire, and will be enforcing punishments if necessary.

Sergeant Russel Jones from the Road Policing Unit covering Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire urged people to make sure loved ones were not making a potentially fatal mistake.

He said: “Some people do not realise the impact that using a mobile phone whilst driving can have on their reaction times.

No message, call or Instagram post is worth your life or that of someone else.

“If you see your friend is texting whilst driving, ask them to stop. Or if you call them and they’re in the car, say you’ll call them back.

“Many of my colleagues have had to knock on the door of families to tell them that their loved one is not coming home because they or someone else on the road were distracted by their mobile phone whilst driving. We do not want to be telling your family that news”.

In March 2022, new laws around using handheld mobile phones at the wheel came into force. It is now illegal to use a handheld mobile phone whilst driving for virtually any use, including looking through playlists, taking photos or playing games.

If you break the law, you can get a £200 fine and six points on your licence.

If you are taken to court you could face a £1,000 fine (£2,500 if you’re driving a lorry or bus) and a ban from driving.

You can use a mobile phone in a car when:

You’re parked and engine off, you need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop, or you're making a contactless payment in a vehicle that is not moving, ie, at a drive-thru restaurant.