SURREY Police has thrown its weight behind a national campaign to highlight tougher penalties which are due to become law, as well as cracking down on motorists using hand-held mobile phones when driving.

They are reminding motorists that nothing is more important than focusing on driving and the ‘It Can Wait’ campaign is urging drivers to place their phone out of reach or set it to silent before setting off on a journey in a bid to take away any temptation to use it when behind the wheel.

Officers from the Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit (RPU) will be targeting irresponsible and dangerous drivers who are spotted making calls, texting and recording videos or surfing the web with action taken against those using a mobile phone at the wheel.

Officers will inform motorists of a new law coming into legislation from March 1, 2017, which will see the fixed penalty fine double from £100 to £200 and the penalty points for the offence increase from three points to six points.

New drivers face the risk of losing their licence if they are caught just once while using their phone.

The force has highlighted the case of 30-year-old Christopher Gard from Alton who was sentenced to nine years for causing death by dangerous driving.

Last week he lost an appeal to cut the length of his sentence where a judge dismissed his attempts, saying: “most rational people would have modified their behaviour for their own sake or for their potential victims”.

Superintendent Chris Moon, Head of Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit said:

“There’s been an alarming rise in the number of people using mobiles when they shouldn’t - the national campaign in May 2016 recorded the highest percentage rate of drivers caught using a mobile phone while driving compared to any other previous campaigns.

“This addiction to using a hand-held mobile phone needs to be broken and putting the phone on silent or out of reach when driving can put a stop to the habit.

“Motorists are putting themselves and those around them at huge risk – using a mobile while driving can cause death or serious injury.”

The campaign began last Monday, where Surrey Police revealed that over 40 drivers were stopped having been spotted holding their phones while driving or talking and texting.