A third of Brit drivers use mobile phones despite penalties

London, Jan 2 (ANI): Many motorists still talk on their mobile phones while driving despite the introduction of tougher penalties, reveals a new UK poll.

The survey, which has been published today, found that 36 per cent of drivers admitted using a hand-held mobile and 93 per cent had seen someone else on a call while at the wheel of a car in the previous week.

While as many as 64percent of those asked said they had never used a hand-held mobile while at the wheel, only 3 percent admitted they had never seen another motorist committing the same offence.

Asked when they last used a hand-held mobile while driving, 12 percent said today, 5 percent said yesterday, 8 percent said last week and 11 percent said last month, reports the Independent.

Tougher penalties for offenders were introduced in 2007.

Steve Fowler, editor of What Car? magazine, which carried out the survey, said: "The message is obviously not getting through - if you use a hand-held mobile phone while driving, you may end up killing yourself or others. Research has shown that using a mobile phone at the wheel could be more dangerous than drink-driving.

"Yet it seems you don't have to travel far to see someone who's oblivious to the dangers. They're all too easy to spot by their bad driving habits." (ANI)