More than 200 drivers a day were caught using a mobile at the wheel immediately after tougher penalties for the offence came into effect, figures show.
UK police caught almost 6,000 drivers using their devices while driving in the four weeks after 1 March.
The numbers were obtained by the Press Association under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.
In March, the penalty for using a phone while driving doubled to £200 and six penalty points.
Under the rules, new drivers caught using a phone within two years of passing their driving test will have their licence revoked altogether.
The high number of people breaking the law means the "key message still isn't sinking in", said Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity The RAC Foundation.
- No sh*t Sherlock - as a casual observer on the bus and on foot I can see dozens of people a day using mobiles, most recently one fool rounded a traffic island one handed and no signal.
- For me they need to double the fine and also impound the vehicle they are driving (be it private or company) for one month at the owners cost. Maybe then the message might start getting through. I have never felt the need to use my mobile whilst driving, I just don't understand why others do.
news source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40079382