Seize their phones

Anything that makes our roads safer for all those who use them must be welcomed.

This is especially so as the death toll on our roads is beginning to climb again after a few years of exemplary improvements. As of yesterday 113 people have died on our roads this year, an increase of five over this time last year. In an effort to reverse this trend new more severe penalties were introduced yesterday. It is to be hoped that the integrity of this new scheme will not be undermined by turning it into a revenue-gathering exercise as so often happened in the past.

We are all familiar with the motorist speaking on a phone while driving on a motorway, some still even text while driving at very high speeds. This behaviour is, despite the great danger involved, far too common and is unacceptable. Maybe it’s time to introduce a new penalty for those who persist on using a handheld phone while they drive — confiscate the phones and block phone companies from offering a replacement for six months.