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Drivers who use mobile phones face jail David Millward and Christopher Hope Motorists caught using a hand-held mobile phone while driving could be jailed for two years under tough new guidelines issued today by prosecutors. Drivers who adjust sat-navs, tinker with MP3 music players such as iPods or send text messages at the wheel could also face prison sentences. Prosecutions will be brought if by using the equipment a motorist is judged to have posed a danger to other drivers, such as causing another car to swerve. Using a hand-held mobile while driving was outlawed in 2003, but it is estimated that half a million motorists flout the ban each day.
(Article continues below) Existing guidelines restricted prosecutors to pursuing only a charge of careless driving, for which the maximum fine is £5,000 along with up to nine points on a motorist's licence. But under the new rules, drivers could be charged with dangerous driving, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail. It is believed that by increasing the penalties, drivers will start to take the law seriously. "This sends a clear message to motorists: don't mix driving and communicating, just as you would not drink and drive," said Rob Gifford, of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety. "This is long overdue. At last the law has caught up with the reality of the road, with too many people using their phone while driving." But Paul Biggs, a spokesman for the Association of British Drivers, said: "This does seem over the top. I would never condone using a hand-held mobile and would never do it myself. But existing laws cover it and there are plenty of other things which are distracting." The new guidelines mean prosecutors will be able to go for a dangerous driving charge, which carries the punishment of an unlimited fine as well as a two-year jail term.
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