THE drivers of 12 vehicles were stopped and fined in a Kent town as part of a crackdown on the illegal use of mobile phones while at the wheel.

The mix of cars and vans that were pulled over during Monday morning's rush hour in Maidstone were fined £60 and received three points on their licence.

The Kent Highway Services and Kent Police staged their look-out campaign at James Whatman Way between 8.30am to 12pm.

Their aim was to reduce the number of motorists using a hand held mobile when driving and now plan to roll out the scheme across the county over the next couple of weeks.

Steve Horton, from the Kent Highways Road Safety Team, warned that using a mobile phone when driving was equally as dangerous as drink driving.

"A lot of people will not see themselves in the same light. But in fact they are worse than drink drivers in terms of reaction times," he stressed.

"Using a mobile phone when you’re driving is distracting as your attention focuses on who is trying to contact you and it can be tempting to answer the call.

"My advice is to switch off your mobile before any journey and ensure all important messages go to voicemail. Voice mail is a life saver."

Kent Police inspector Geoff Wood believes about two per cent of fatal accidents could be linked to the illegal use of mobile phones.

"Perhaps two people will die in this county this year as a result of using mobile phones while driving and this is unnecessary and is preventable.

"People will receive a £60 fine and three points but for half that amount of money they could invest in a blue tooth system as an alternative to using a mobile phone while driving.

"To encourage people to look at alternative systems would prevent collisions, injuries and possible death.

"The idea about the campaign is to raise awareness about enforcement and education, which is the key to prevention."