Hundreds of drivers break new phone law

Police said 42 people were caught using a phone behind the wheel in the first five days of the law change

More than 200 people have been caught using a mobile phone while driving in just 14 days.

Police Scotland said it was "disappointed" that 210 drivers were stopped in the fortnight when heavier penalties were introduced.

They doubled on the 1 March from three to six penalty points on a licence and a £200 fine.

In the first five days of the law change, police said 42 people were charged or reported.

'Widespread public knowledge'

Deputy head of road policing for the force, Supt Fraser Candlish, said: "While it is clear that proportionately more people were caught in the ten days prior to the new penalties being introduced, this coincided with a period when there was a great deal of advertising and publicity highlighting the change.

"It is extremely disappointing that in the first five days of the new penalties being implemented, more than 40 drivers were still prepared to put the lives of both themselves and other road users at risk by using such devices while they were driving.

"There can be no excuse, as there was widespread public knowledge of the change.

"Road Policing Officers will continue to look out for anyone breaking the law, and my advice is to simply either switch off your phone entirely while driving, or only make or answer a call if you are parked."