The number of British drivers caught using mobile phones while driving has reached staggering figures with the government claiming that one per cent of motorists is at the wheel holding a phone. Studies also show that an estimated 10 million cars are on the road at any time during the day.

Recently, a Labour life peer Lord Ahmed was handed a three-month jail sentence after he was found guilty of texting while driving. The judge presiding over the Labour life peer case however clarified that the text messaging had finished prior to the crash and was not connected to the fatal incident.

This is a sign that mobile phone abuse transcends social backgrounds and some experts now say that the trend is almost becoming like an addiction. Statistics show that in 2006, there was a shocking 170,000 convictions for driving while using mobile phone.

Stiffer penalties handed out for using hand-held mobile phones while driving has not deterred many motorists according to recent reports. Other statistics show that Over 185,000 motorists were prosecuted in 2007 for this offence.

Consequences of phoning while driving

Drivers should be aware of the dangers posed by calling or texting on the phone while driving on the road. An accident resulting from phone abuse can see drivers sent to jail or have penalty points added on their licence.

Motorists also face the risk of being charged higher insurance premiums by their car insurance providers.  According to reports, offenders can have their premium increased by as much as the fine itself. This could also remain in place for up to three years, raising the cost of the offence by up to four times the original fine.

Industry sources say that some insurers now refuse to quote for new business with a single mobile phone offence. Additionally, others raised premiums by between 4.2 per cent and 18.1 per cent, which shows how seriously the insurance sector views this offence.

In cases where a driver gets a simultaneous charge of driving without care and attention offence added, half of the insurers are not willing to quote, while those that agree impose premium increases of up to 50.5 per cent.

A driver who causes a crash resulting in death or injury as a direct result of using a hand-held mobile telephone (or even a hands-free one if it was the direct cause of loss of concentration) may not be able to purchase car insurance cover in the future and their policy could be voided.

Are hands-free phones any safer?

Driving while operating a hand-held mobile phone was banned in 2003 and is still illegal, the law however, allows the use of a hands-free kit. Recent surveys suggest that more than 70 per cent of drivers believe that using a mobile phone hands-free is a distraction for the driver.

A study by esure shows that over 40 per cent of motorists think that the use of mobile phone hands-free kits should also be banned as figures suggest that nearly 16 million motorists frequently make hands-free calls whilst driving.

In 2007, nearly 3000 motorists were prosecuted for failing to have proper control of their vehicle whilst driving and being distracted with hands-free mobile phone calls. Critics say the use of hands-free phone kits while driving should have been made illegal at the same time when hand-held phones were.