Ten London motorcyclists were condemned as “suicidal” today after being caught by police riding their machines while using mobile phones.
The bikers were among 4,878 motorists caught on the phone while driving in the capital as part of a UK-wide campaign.
Chief Inspector Colin Carswell, of the Met’s Roads & Transport Policing Command, said : “Every single driver who uses a mobile phone while driving is a risk but a motorcyclist using one is suicidally crazy, it is nuts.”
The figures showed that more than half of the 8,500 drivers caught using a mobile in the nationwide campaign were stopped in London.
Among them were 171 lorry drivers using phones at the wheel.
The figures were released as police launched a new week long crackdown on motorists using mobiles.
Ch Insp Carswell said: “We want to educate the public not to do this because I believe that, after speeding, using a mobile while driving is probably the single most dangerous thing a driver can do.”
He added: “Every driver knows it is illegal, it is an offence that one does not commit accidentally.”
Hundreds of officers will be deployed across London this week carrying out spot checks and stops on motorists using phones while driivng.
Ch Insp Carswell said there was widespread support from motorists and the public to the last week long crackdown in November.
He said : “There is a widespread recognition that there is flagrant law breaking.
“Everyone can see people breaking the law and most people appreciate it is dangerous. Every day we stop people doing it but we would prefer to educate people so that we did not have to stop people.”
The officer said many people saw the video footage of lorry driver Tomasz Kroker - who killed Tracy Houghton, 45, her two sons Josh Houghton, 11 and Ethan Houghton, 13, and her boyfriend’s daughter Aimee Goldsmith while distracted by his phone on the A34 in Berkshire - and he added: “ That is why we can never let up on this.”
This week’s crackdown will involve high visibility officers stopping cars as well as patrols using unmarked vans, high vantage points and helmet cameras.
From March the Government is to double the penalties issued to drivers caught with phones so that they face £200 fines and six points on their licence.
