KENT Police are warning that motorists caught talking on handheld mobile phones will face tougher penalties from today.

The offence will be punishable by three penalty points on their driving licence and a £60 fine in an effort by the authorities to stamp out the dangerous yet widespread habit.

It is already illegal for drivers to use a handheld mobile to receive or make calls, texts and pictures or to access the Internet while driving, stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic. But until now, the offence only carried a £30 fine.

Using a hands-free phone can also be illegal if the driver is not in proper control of the vehicle.

Government research has shown that the use of any mobile phone while driving results in reaction times worse than driving under the influence of alcohol.

Up to one in 20 serious injuries and deaths on roads in Kent happen as a result of drivers using a handheld mobile phone immediately before or at the time of the accident.

Last year, Kent Police issued 4,680 fixed penalty notices to drivers caught using a handheld mobile phone. Four of these were people using a handheld mobile phone while supervising a learner driver.

Ch Insp John Frayne, the head of road policing in Kent, said: “Driving while using a handheld mobile phone is dangerous and puts the driver’s life and the lives of other road users at risk.

“Kent Police will not tolerate motorists who continue to flout the law and drivers can now additionally expect three points on their licence and a £60 fine if caught. Not only that, people who are caught could find their car insurance premiums rising too.”

He added: “As police officers we see first hand the devastation caused by vehicle owners who have been distracted when using their mobile phone, and making the roads of Kent a safer place is our priority. We hope these tougher penalties will make drivers think twice before they text or make or answer a call behind the wheel.”