New data has revealed that Essex is one of the worst places in the country for drivers being fined for using their mobiles, facing over £2.6m worth of fines.
A new report from GoCompare shows which part of the UK are hotspots for Brits being fined for using their mobile phones whilst driving.
Police reports show that £2,611,200 worth of fines have been issued in Essex over the last five years, the third worst in the country.
Across the country the winter season holds the highest ranking for fines throughout the year at 42,099 across December and January.
One driver from Essex said they 'don't think' about the dangers of the road when checking his phone.
They said: “I work from my phone on some days, so naturally I’m getting notifications sent through and checking for updates when I'm driving long distances.
"I’ve been driving for 10+ years so I like to think I have good road awareness, especially on routes I travel often, so I guess I don’t really think about the dangers of quickly checking my phone while driving.”
New laws which will come in this year are set to bring this down further as they ban the use of mobile phones when driving completely, including touching the screen to change music and use the Sat Nav.
Based on the number of fines already received in 2020, it’s expected that Brits will have paid upwards of £1.3M in fines, despite less time on the roads due to lockdown.
Bringing the total overall spend on mobile-related fines whilst driving to £34,295,600 for the past 5 years.
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