THE head of a major road policing campaign in Bradford has welcomed a week-long national crackdown on drivers using mobile phones while driving, which started today.

However, Sergeant Cameron Buchan, who runs Operation Steerside, said it was an issue his team had been tackling for the past nine months.

Research into the problem showed that almost half of people nationwide admitted to using their phone while behind the wheel, with 12 per cent saying they did not think doing so was dangerous.

COMMENT: Crackdown on mobile use behind the wheel is a good move

In Yorkshire, 38 per cent of people admitted to using their phone while behind the wheel.

Ten per cent had received a fine, and the same number had either crashed or been caught by the police while on their phones – double the national figure.

The number of people in Yorkshire who did not believe using a mobile phone at the wheel was dangerous was also higher than the national average – at 18 per cent – and 14 per cent of people blamed the pressure of work for making them feel like they needed to respond to calls and messages.

Government figures show more than 180,000 people were killed or injured in road accidents in the UK last year, and evidence suggests that distractions such as using a phone greatly contribute to fatal accidents.

Sgt Buchan welcomed the nationwide crackdown, but pointed out it had been going on in Bradford since Operation Steerside began.

He said of the national initiative: “This all came about because of a survey showing the number of offences is rising, and pointing out a number of police forces were giving out less tickets.

“West Yorkshire Police was one of the only forces which showed an increase in the number of prosecutions for using a mobile while driving, and I think Steerside played a big part in it.

“This week there will be a national crackdown but for us here in Bradford it will just be business as usual.”

The week of action follows one in May, which resulted in 2,323 offences being recorded during the week.

Police forces in England and Wales will be using unmarked vans, helmet cameras, high-seated vehicles and high vantage points to catch offenders, and telling drivers to ignore phones.

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