Drivers caught on camera using handheld mobile phone

During 2023, the public submitted 152 dashcam, headcam or phone videos of drivers suspected of illegally using a mobile phone whilst driving to Warwickshire Police Op Snap to help make Warwickshire’s roads safer.

Those drivers caught on camera and submitted to Op Snap by other road users include the following:- 

This driver was fined £200 and their driving licence endorsed with 6 points after they were caught on the dashcam of another vehicle on the M6 south bound between junctions J3 and J2 on 3 May 2023.

This driver was fined £200 and received 6 points on their driving licence after being caught on camera by a member of the public using a mobile phone whilst queueing in traffic in Lillington Ave, Leamington on 20 May 2023.   

This driver was caught on camera on Main Street, Newbold in Rugby on 22 May 2023 and was fined £200 and received 6 points on their driving licence.

This driver was spotted using their handheld mobile phone whilst driving in Abbey Street, Nuneaton on 31 May 2023 and as a result they were fined £200 and their driving licence endorsed with 6 points.

This driver was caught on camera using his handheld mobile phone while driving on Lower Hillmorton Rd, Rugby on 21 June 2023 and was fined £200 and received 6 points on his licence.

This driver was caught on camera on the A5 at Long Shoot, Nuneaton on 11 July 2023 and was fined £200 and their driving licence endorsed with 6 points.

This driver of this white car was fined £200 and received 6 points on their licence after footage showing them on their phone on the A46 near Ansty M6 J2 on 23 August 2023 was submitted to Op Snap.

This driver was fined £200 and received 6 points on his licence after footage was submitted to Op Snap of him using a mobile phone whilst driving on the A46 Kings Hill on 2 August 2023.

As part of Operation Snap, members of the public can report and submit digital footage showing potential moving traffic offences. This can range from driving dangerously or carelessly to overtaking on solid white lines, using a mobile phone while driving, ignoring traffic lights or dangerous driving around other road users, such as horse riders and cyclists.

Once received via the online portal, the digital footage is reviewed by a road safety police officer to see if it meets the evidence threshold. Submitters are then informed if the case will be progressed or not and the rationale explained. The footage may also be used by Warwickshire Police to help educate other road users and to advise on case results.

Sergeant Chris McSharry said “It is really encouraging to see the public taking responsibility for road safety by submitting moving footage of these dangerous drivers to us via Op Snap

“Let’s be clear. Good drivers are good because they are completely focused on the road.  If you are on your phone whether handsfree or not, you are far less likely to notice unexpected things like a child stepping off the pavement. 

“This is why officers are always on the lookout for dangerous drivers and in 2023, 479 drivers received fixed penalty notices for using a handheld mobile phone whilst driving in Warwickshire.”

Research by The Open University and Roads Policing Academic Network, funded by the Road Safety Trust, has found that a driver using a handheld or a handsfree phone is four times more likely to be involved in a collision than an undistracted driver, can look AT hazards but fail to actually SEE them, can take up to a second longer to react to hazards, and is far less likely to notice hazards even if they happen right in front of them.

Not only is using a mobile phone whilst driving extremely dangerous whether handheld or not, if you are caught twice for using a handheld mobile phone whilst driving you could accumulate 12 points which would mean you would lose your licence.  This could affect your job, your home life and your relationship.

If a new driver receives six penalty points within the first two years of passing their driving test, their licence will automatically be revoked. This isn’t just inconvenient, but extremely costly, as they will need to pay for a new provisional licence, and retake their theory and practical tests.

Even if a driver is using a mobile phone or other device handsfree, if you are not in proper control of your vehicle you could face 3 points and £100 fine.

Please follow these tips to be a better driver

• Turn your mobile phone off before you drive and put it out of reach to avoid temptation
• Keep the volume down on your phone and set the music playing before you set off
• Set the sat nav destination before leaving. Rely more on voice instructions rather than staring at the screen so you keep your eyes on the road
• Stop to eat and drink. Don’t snack at the wheel
• Park up to check or to use your mobile phone.
• Talk later. Save in depth conversations for when the journey is over.
• Passengers please don’t do anything that could distract the driver even for a moment
• Tell work, friends and family that you will check your phone regularly, but you will not use your mobile phone to respond to them whilst driving because you need to concentrate on driving.
• Remember how important you are. Don’t let a text, a status update, a share, a meme be the one thing that could potentially destroy your world (and possibly someone else’s).

The mobile phone results from Op Snap are being shared as part of a four week National Police Chief’s Council led ‘Fatal 4’ operation that aims to remove the most dangerous drivers from the roads.  The operation is targeting drivers who choose to drink or take drugs and drive, choose not to wear a seatbelt, choose to be distracted by using a handheld mobile phone whilst driving or choose to speed.   These are called the Fatal 4 behaviours because they significantly contribute to collisions, injuries and fatalities.

About Op Snap

For more information please visit https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/operation-snap

The Law

Using a phone, sat nav or other device when driving - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)