Driving while using your mobile phone.

Driving while using your mobile phone.

West Midlands Police are actively cracking down on distracted drivers in Tipton and the wider Sandwell borough. 

Under strict legislation, it is entirely illegal to hold or touch a mobile phone or any data-capable device for almost any reason while driving. 

The Tipton Neighbourhood Policing Team and the force's Camera Enforcement Unit use multiple tactics to catch offending drivers, including unmarked vehicles, human observation, AI-assisted cameras, and public video submissions. 

The legal requirements, penalties, and local enforcement mechanisms include:

 What Counts as 'Using' a Phone?

The law covers any device capable of interactive communication, even if it is offline or in flight mode. WM Police warn that you are breaking the law if you hold your phone to perform any of the

 following actions while driving: 

• Illuminating the screen, checking notifications, or checking the time.

• Unlocking the device or scrolling through a music playlist.

• Rejecting, receiving, or making a call.

• Drafting texts, taking photos, or filming video clips.

• Touching the screen to update a map or sat-nav route. 

Crucial Note: The law applies even if you are stationary at traffic lights, queuing in traffic on the Black Country Spine Road, or stopped while the engine's auto-stop/start function is active. 

 Fines, Points, and Penalties

If caught using a handheld mobile phone while driving in Tipton or Sandwell, you face immediate penalties: 

• Fixed Penalty: A £200 fine and 6 penalty points on your driving licence. 

• New Drivers: If you receive 6 points within two years of passing your driving test, your licence will be automatically revoked by the DVLA, meaning you must reapply and retake both your theory and practical tests. 

• Court Prosecution: Severe cases can be referred to court, where you can face a driving ban and a maximum fine of £1,000 (£2,500 for lorry or bus drivers). 

Hands-Free Kits and Mounts

You may use a phone hands-free (via Bluetooth, voice activation, or a built-in dashboard system), but the phone must be securely fixed in a cradle or mount that does not block your view of the road. 

However, police can still pull you over and prosecute you for 'Driving Without Due Care and Attention' or 'Not Being in Proper Control of a Vehicle' if they observe that interacting with a mounted hands-free device is distracting you from driving safely. 

 Operation Snap: Caught on Camera

Sandwell Council strictly supports West Midlands Police Operation Snap. If a pedestrian, cyclist, or passenger in another vehicle films you using your phone, or if it is captured on a trailing vehicle's dashcam, the public can upload the footage directly to the police portal. Specially trained officers review these clips daily and routinely issue fines and court summonses entirely based on digital citizen evidence. 

Thank you from Tipton police station.