29 PEOPLE from Bradford were fined for being caught on their mobile phone whilst driving last month.

It comes after the number of fines handed out to drivers in West Yorkshire for using their mobile phones at the wheel more than doubled in a year.

Home Office figures show West Yorkshire Police handed out 2,252 fixed penalty notices (FPN) to people for driving while using a hand-held device in 2022.

This was up from 1,147 the year before – although people's travel behaviour in 2021 was affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Nevertheless, 2022 levels remained above 2019, when 1,751 FPNs were issued.

The fine was paid for 1,199 (53 per cent) of the FPNs handed out in West Yorkshire, while none led to driver retraining.

Court action was required in a further 1,053 (47 per cent).

This continues to be the case in 2024 as 29 people from Bradford alone appeared in front of the Magistrates in February.

Six of those had to pay more than £500 after using their handheld mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle on a road.

Nationally, the number of FPNs handed out by all police forces excluding the British Transport Police rose by 34 per cent from 2019 to 38,000 in 2022.

In 2021, just 20,000 FPNs were issued, with every police force bar one seeing an increase the following year.

This is likely due to a change in the law in March 2022.

Previously, the law stated drivers were guilty of an offence when using the hand-held device for "interactive communication", but this was updated to incorporate any use.

An offence carries a minimum £200 fine and six points on the driver's licence.

The AA said the tightening of the law has driven the substantial rise in offences across England and Wales, but also attributed the increased use of dashcams for helping catch drivers using their mobiles.

RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said far too many drivers are "prepared to put lives at risk by engaging in this dangerous practice".

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The use of mobile phones whilst driving is dangerous and reckless and can lead to serious road traffic collisions.

"The increase in the numbers of mobile phone use whilst driving related fixed penalty notices is likely due to a recent change in legislation to include wider use of a hand-held device whilst driving."

The Telegraph & Argus did approach West Yorkshire Police for a comment.