A charity boss has called for tougher sentences for “selfish” motorists who cause “unimaginable horror” by using mobile phones while driving.
Howard Jones, chief executive of RoadPeace, criticised the lenient punishments handed to two Norfolk drivers whose actions resulted in death and life-changing injuries.
The cases involved a driver whose phone use led to a crash that left a mother paralysed, and another driver who killed a scooter rider while checking a selfie on her phone.
“The lenient sentences handed down to those who choose to ignore these dangers fail to reflect the true severity of their crimes,” Jones told the BBC.
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The motorist had been filming himself, sending texts and making calls during his journey to college when he crashed his black Volkswagen Golf on the A47 near Norwich in 2023. The collision left a mother in her 40s with devastating injuries.
The victim was left paralysed from the neck down, unable to speak or breathe independently following the crash.
The driver who was 19 at the time of sentencing, was jailed for 26 months in a young offender institution after admitting to causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
In the second case, the driver was checking a selfie she had taken while driving her Vauxhall Corsa when she struck and killed a 64-year-old man on the A11 in Norfolk in 2021.
The 23-year-old had been zooming in on a photo of herself with her tongue out moments before the fatal collision.
She was sentenced to three years and six months in prison after admitting death by dangerous driving.
Jones highlighted that courts have the power to impose lifetime driving bans, yet rarely use them.
“Why should someone who has caused death or life-altering injuries through their reckless actions ever be allowed to drive again?” he questioned.
Research showed that drivers using phones, whether handheld or hands-free, are four times more likely to be involved in collisions than undistracted drivers.
Official figures revealed that mobile phone use contributed to 25 of 1,441 reported fatal collisions in the UK during 2023.
Norfolk Police’s Sergeant Callum Walchester warned about the swift consequences of such behaviour.
He said: “People often think it will never happen to them, but we see all too often how quickly life can change because of this type of offending.”
Now RoadPeace has called for immediate changes to how dangerous driving cases are sentenced in UK courts.
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Drivers can be fined £200 for using a mobile phone while behind the wheel
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“We urge the justice system to fully utilise its powers to protect innocent lives and send a clear message,” Jones pleaded.
The charity continues to advocate for stricter penalties to deter dangerous driving behaviour. In the UK, the penalty for using a handheld mobile phone while driving is a £200 fine and six penalty points on a licence.
