331 caught in mobiles crackdown

Sep 14 2012

More than 300 motorists were caught using a mobile phone while driving in a one-day crackdown by police.

Ten lorry drivers were among the 331 people snared on the day of action earlier this week.

In one incident, a taxi driver was caught using a mobile as he negotiated a roundabout when a number of school pupils were nearby.

A 35-year-old man in Tayside was caught speeding at 89mph in a 40mph limit while his two-year-old child was in his car. He was found to be more than two times over the legal alcohol limit. There were also 188 people found not to be wearing a seatbelt whilst travelling on the roads, police chiefs said.

Deputy Chief Constable Tom Ewing, spokesman on road policing for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos), said: "Despite our efforts to get the message across that using a mobile phone is dangerous and illegal, it seems a number of people are failing to heed the warning.

"They will face the consequences of a monetary penalty and points on their licence, and in the case of lorry drivers may face further action from the traffic commissioner."

Acpos said the Scotland-wide day of action, held from 7am on Wednesday to the same time on Thursday, was part of a campaign aimed at reducing road casualties. They said that the 331 drivers were caught using a mobile phone or other handheld device whilst they were behind the wheel. The majority of cases will be dealt with by a fixed penalty notice.

Officers said the taxi driver was spotted using his mobile outside a school in Kirkcaldy, Fife, at lunchtime. The 52-year-old man, who did not have a passenger at the time, was given a fixed penalty notice and is being reported to the local licensing board.

Elsewhere in the force area, a 17-year-old man who had just passed his driving test a month earlier was caught using a mobile phone. A 27-year-old man was caught drink-driving - his fourth drug or drink-driving offence in six years. The authorities are now looking to seize his vehicle.

Mr Ewing, of Fife Constabulary, said police would continue to clamp down on motorists using phones. He said: "We will continue to be vigilant for all traffic offences including mobile phone use and our message is clear - don't risk it."