Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, believes that if a driver is caught twice using a mobile phone whilst driving, they should lose their licence.
He made the comments in a recent Daily Mail interview, where he also called for the current 3 point penalty to be doubled to 6 in order to deter drivers from using their phones.
Sir Bernard also suggested that younger drivers who are caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel within a year of passing, should have to re-take their test.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner said, “I think it [usage of mobile behind the wheel] is still very high when people are driving. If I was able tomorrow, I would say you get six points for driving while using a phone.’’
"The problem at the moment is we are dishing out lots of tickets, somebody gets three points and they have got another three chances."
The comments come as the Government mulls over the idea of upping the present £60 fine for the offence – to £90.
One recent study suggested that approximately 200,000 motorists have been fined for the infraction, which suggests that warnings about the dangers of such behaviour are not being heeded.
A spokesman for the Department of Transport said: “Using a mobile phone whilst driving is incredibly dangerous and the vast majority of drivers know that if caught they could face a fine, penalty points and even prison in serious cases.
“Unfortunately some drivers continue to break the law which is why we have recently consulted on increasing the fixed penalty for this offence from the current £60.”
As a vehicle recovery provider, safety is of paramount importance to us here at startrescue.co.uk, so any measures that reduce accidents are welcome. But do you think the changes suggested by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner would be a step too far? Or should the law become tighter? Feel free to leave your comments below.