Drivers in all car crashes to have their phones taken by police
Drivers involved in all car crashes are to have their mobile phones siezed by police to check whether they were texting or on a call in the moments before an accident.
Confiscated phones could then be used in evidence in prosecutions if motorists were found to have broken the law by using their handsets while at the wheel.
The instruction to officers has come from Gloucestershire chief constable Suzette Davenport, who is responsible for roads policing at the Association of Chief Police Officers.
Previously phone checks only took place at major accidents in which people were killed or seriously injured, but now they will apply to any collisions in a bid to cut down deaths caused by drivers being distracted by their phones.
The move was welcomed by charities attemping to prevent the estimated 500 deaths that occur on Britain's roads because of drivers typing on their phones.
But some voiced concerns that the move could give police offers too much power.
Hugh Bladon, of the Alliance of British Drivers, is quoted by Yahoo as saying: "I am 100 per cent against anyone texting while driving and those caught deserve everything they get. But I'm worried police could overdo it, just because someone is involved in a minor shunt, surely it shouldn't mean they should lose their phone."
Currently drivers caught using their phones face a fixed penalty notice of £100 and three points on their licence.