"I said I'm in the car!"

The Crown Prosecution Service has suggested that it plans to be more aggressive in prosecuting motorists who use mobile phones while driving. They also plan to get tougher on other offences such as tailgating and jumping lights. Drivers who are nicked using handheld mobile phones could face charges of dangerous rather than unsafe driving. The later charge is generally punished by fines but under the former charge drivers would face prison time.

Not a moment too soon in my estimation. Use of handheld phones whilst driving has been an offence for at least three or four years and it hasn't maybe the slightest impact. Maybe harsher penalties will do so.

I did a little survey this morning whilst I was waiting for the green man to cross a busy road. Eighteen cars passed me during that time; ten of the drivers when talking on mobiles (to whom and why remains a mystery); one of the ten was a copper in a marked car!

While they are tightening up on mobile phone related behaviour I would suggest that they also introduce an offence of "texting whilst walking". How many times have I been driven off the payment by someone (usually but not always a woman) who is walking along merrily texting away and paying not a bit of bloody attention to where they are going?