Complaints against officers

[Fedster + 1,307]

But it could be due to a lack of roads policing officers to enforce the law.

Motorists caught by police using mobiles behind the wheel decreased by 11 per cent in the first few months after stricter punishments were phased in, a freedom of information request has revealed. 

Just over 1,700 fewer drivers were stopped for illegally using a handheld phone while driving in the three months after the introduction of tougher penalties in the spring compared to the three months immediately before, data obtained by the RAC indicated.

In total 14,160 drivers were caught for the offence – which now carries a penalty of six points and a £200 fine – between March and May 2017, down from 15,861 who were stopped between December 2016 and February 2017. The RAC collected the data after making a Freedom of Information request to UK police forces, with 38 forces responding.

RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said: “Following the introduction of tougher penalties for using a handheld phone at the wheel from March, we know police forces are running regular targeted campaigns to catch offenders – so one way of reading these new figures is to say that this activity, at least in some parts of the country, is beginning to yield results.

 

"But the flipside to this is the possibility that enforcement levels are still much lower than they need to be to stamp out this illegal activity.

“We believe the low overall numbers still represent just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the real numbers of drivers who are using a handheld phone while driving. 

“The severe cuts in the number of dedicated roads policing officers across the UK, down 27 per cent in the five years to 2015, continues to be a major source of concern. We expect it will be having an impact on enforcement levels – not least because catching people committing the crime of using a handheld phone at the wheel relies on officers observing drivers’ behaviour. There is, as yet, no automated way of catching offenders like there is when it comes to speeding."

The sharpest percentage fall in the number of drivers caught was in the City of London police force area with just 41 drivers stopped after the new penalties came in, down from 124 who were caught in the three months prior (a 67 per cent fall). Durham Constabulary stopped 73 drivers, down from 149 (51 per cent) while Surrey Police caught 279, down from 564 (51).

While 25 forces recorded a fall in the number of drivers caught for the offence of using a handheld phone at the wheel after the new penalties, 11 saw a rise and two saw the number unchanged. Kent Police caught 337 drivers, up from 237 (a 42 per cent rise), Gwent Police caught 79, up from 56 (41 per cent) and Leicestershire Police caught 134, up from 98 (37 per cent).

Mr Williams added: “Regardless of the reasons for the fall in offenders being caught, it is clear there is still an enormous job to be done to show to drivers that persist in using a handheld phone that it is both against the law and extremely dangerous."

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[JWadd 24]

Or the number of motorists caught could be lower due to fewer officers on the streets.

[Hyphen + 693]

That is the the reason regardless of the rhetoric.

No one has time for this kind of enforcement or pro active policing, certainly response and neighbourhood cops.

Same with many minor traffic offences.

[Mac7 808]

Or the number of motorists caught could be lower due to fewer officers on the streets.

Exactly. There has been a vast reduction in officers including specialist traffic officers who are leaving, retiring etc and not being replaced.

[Zulu 22 + 4,571]

Now retired I see as many people using a mobile whilst driving in fact, the numbers seem not to have dropped at all.  It cannotm be denied that there are fewer officers to enforce and officers might see the offence but be on their way to a more important shout.

[obsidian_eclipse + 1,202]

I'm surprised they haven't said that having fewer officers has reduced crime, so let's get rid of the police all together!

[PCSD 329]

It's one of the main reasons why I prefer driving carriers now - it's easier to spot people holding the phone below the steering wheel while messaging. 

[David + 4,981]

A tiny and therefore unrepresentative sample, but I've seen no drop at all in people using mobile devices at the wheel. On my general travels I can guarantee to see at least three people in a short period of time on their devices, and that's not even looking for them.

A drop due to tougher penalties might well be true, but as far as a general drop off goes, it's balderdash. There are just aren't the officers out there stopping and prosecuting for it.

[HazRat 762]

Five forced didn’t respond and the biggest force put very little effort into the campaign when the penalties increased.