Police are set to start checking the mobile phones of drivers involved in collisions, even for minor bumps and shunts.
Thanks to new guidlines from the Association of Chief Police Officers, mobile phones can now be seized post-incident in order to prove or disprove whether the driver was distracted. The intent is to cut the high rate of accidents caused by mobile use at the wheel.
Official figures say that over 500 are killed or seriously injured annually as a result, though that figure is likely on the low side. Phones are currently only checked in the event of a fatality or ‘serious’ incident.
Earlier this month it was also revealed that the number of penalty points for using a mobile at the wheel may be upped from three to six.