Nearly 10,000 motorists caught twice for driving while distracted, shocking new figures reveal
Statistics come as the Government is planning to double the three penalty points issued for using a mobile phone while driving
ALMOST 10,000 motorists have been caught twice for being distracted while driving including using a mobile phone over the past four years.
A freedom of information request to the DVLA also revealed that 600 people have been caught driving while distracted three times and one driver was even nabbed five times.
The startling figures come as the Government is planning to double the three penalty points issued for using a mobile phone while driving.
Meanwhile, cops in Bedfordshire released a number of pictures taken of drivers using their phones while travelling at speeds of 50mph and over on the M1 motorway near Luton.
But yesterday the RAC questioned whether there was enough road police to tackle the “desperate problem”.
Spokesman Pete Williams said: “These shocking figures reveal the scale of the task in hand to reverse the relaxed attitudes of persistent offenders and to change driver behaviours.
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“It will be interesting to see what impact the new increased penalties will have but with a significantly reduced presence of dedicated roads policing officers some will doubt they will bring about the behavioural change we need.
“We need a concerted effort by the Government, the police and the courts using a combination of tougher penalties, targeted enforcement and a hard-hitting education campaign to tackle what has become a desperate problem for society.”
And Gary Rae, of the road safety charity Brake, told the BBC: “These are astonishing figures. It’s further evidence that the authorities are not taking illegal use of mobiles behind the wheel seriously enough.
“We need tougher sanctions on drivers who use their devices when driving, and that includes increasing both the fines and penalty points.”
The figures come after lorry driver Tomasz Kroker, 30, was this week jailed for 10 years after killing a mum and three children while scrolling through music on his mobile phone at the wheel.
Tracy Houghton, 45, her sons Ethan, 13, and Josh, 11, and step daughter Aimee Goldsmith, 11, died when the truck ploughed into their car at 50mph in August.
The freedom of information request by BBC Radio 5 Live also found nearly 240,000 people were caught at least once since 2012 but only 284 have received a ban.