Image credit: Surrey Roads Policing
A taxi driver was slapped with a £200 fine and SIX POINTS on their driver’s license after the police caught the cabbie holding a mobile device.
Eagle-eyed Surrey Police officers spotted the taxi driver on the M25 near the south-west Leatherhead junction.
According to police sources the driver was seen using the mobile phone.
A Surrey Road Cops spokesperson said: “The VanguardRST caught the driver of this Hackney Carriage (taxi) was seen using their handheld mobile phone whilst driving on the M25 near Leatherhead.
“The driver was issued 6 points and a £200 fine. Fatal 5 – distracted driving.”
A crackdown on all motorists using a handheld device while driving started on March 25.
Since then the police have been able to more easily prosecute drivers using a hand-held mobile phone at the wheel after the Government strengthened existing laws in a bid to further improve road safety.
It was already illegal to text or make a phone call (other than in an emergency) using a hand-held device while driving. However as of 25 March 2022, laws went further to ban drivers from using their phones to take photos or videos, scroll through playlists or play games.
This will mean anyone caught using their hand-held device while driving will face a £200 fixed penalty notice and 6 points on their license.
Drivers will still be able to continue using a device ‘hands-free’ while driving, such as a sat-nav, if it’s secured in a cradle. They must, however, always take responsibility for their driving and can be charged with an offense if the police find them not to be in proper control of their vehicle.