More caught using handheld phone at wheel

In 2006, 164,900 were fined for using a handheld, 2,700 were taken to court and 900 given a written warning.

The offence of using a phone at the wheel - introduced on December 1 2003 - contributed to an ongoing rise in the number of careless driving offences, which has risen from 86,400 in 2003 to 233,600 in 2006, a 170% increase.

The report also revealed that the number of motorists who gave a positive breath test, or refused to give a sample, rose 1% to 105,700 year-on-year. The total was significantly higher than the year 2000, when it stood at less than 95,000.

The total number of motoring offences dealt with by police in 2006 was 12.7 million, down from 2004's peak of 13.5 million but significantly higher than the number a decade earlier, when the number stood at 9.5 million.

The largest category was parking, obstruction and waiting offences, which amounted to 8.3 million. There were two million speed limit offences, down 8% year-on-year.