Getting away with it: mobile phone abusers

Britain's roads are still awash with drivers chatting away on their mobile phones as only a tiny proportion of motorists endangering themselves and their fellow drivers are brought to justice, according to latest research.

Just 1.5 per cent of the five million drivers who admit to using their phone behind the wheel get caught; this means that 149 out of every 150 offenders are getting away with the transgression, according to a survey by the Liberal Democrats.

Over a fifth of motorists interviewed in the research said that they were in the habit of taking calls from the driving seat suggesting that a change in attitude is needed to make the practice culturally unacceptable.

Commenting on the figures, Liberal Democrat transport spokesman MP Alistair Carmichael said: "Driving while on the phone can be extremely dangerous, and it is concerning that so few drivers are being caught.

"The recent decrease in traffic police may well have led to these lamentable figures."

He continued: "Much tougher punishments must be issued to discourage drivers from driving while on the phone, as it is the cause of countless serious accidents."

The research found that, in England, the City of London was the safest place to drive as offenders were 23 times more likely to be caught than in Cambridgeshire, the most dangerous region.