Motorist wearing Father Christmas hat is caught using his phone while driving on the M4
A DRIVER wearing a Santa hat has been caught chatting on the phone while driving on a high-speed motorway.
The motorist, who is now in danger of being put on the naughty list, was spotted driving on the M4 about 10am this morning.
The driver, in the festive red and white hat, can be seen holding the white phone to his ear.
Realising he was being watched by fellow motorists, he then quickly puts the phone down.
Dean Cranston spotted the rogue Santa, realising the driver was on the phone as the car was crawling along the busy motorway.
He told The Sun Online: "He was driving quite slow and I was behind him.
"As I overtook him I realised he was on the phone and wearing a Santa hat."
Dean's passenger then started to film the bad Santa.
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Dean, who is a photographer and spends much of his time on the road, said he saw distracted drivers too often.
The 38-year-old said: "I probably see people on their phones 20 to 30 times a day.
"They are normally weaving or wobbling or driving slowly."
He said the car had a mini cab driver sticker on the back window.
"This guy was driving way too slow.
"He wasn't spatially aware at all, shall we say."
National Police Chiefs' COuncil Lead for Roads Policing Chief Constable Suzette Davenport said: "Forces are coming together this week with innovative approaches to catching those driving when distracted and campaign to make drivers think twice about using their mobiles at the wheel.
"Tackling mobile phone use by drivers requires police enforcement using new technology and tactics to maximise the numbers of people we can stop, combined with strong effective penalties and creative national campaigns to make driving distracted as socially unacceptable as drink driving.
"When you're getting in your car, remember don't put others at risk - keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel."
A brazen driver was filmed earlier this year, using three mobile phones as he travelled through the busy London streets.
It is illegal to use a hand-held phone or similar device while driving, with the rules the same if stopped at traffic lights.
The penalty for using your phone while driving can include getting three penalty points on your licence and a fine of £100 - with a review now being undertaken by the Department of Transport to double this penalty to six points and a fine of £200.
The case can also be escalated to the courts, with drivers under threat of being disqualified from driving and even facing a £1000 fine.
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