New tougher rules around the use of mobile phones when driving will be introduced within weeks.
Drivers will soon be faced with £200 under new laws around the use of mobile phones when at the wheel.
It has previously been thought the new driving laws would be introduced alongside other major changes to the Highway Code on January 29, the Express reports.
The Department for Transport has confirmed that the rule changes will be taking place on March 25, with the necessary legislation now making its way through Parliament.
The new law will toughen the rules surrounding the use of mobile phones when driving, raising the price of fines to £200
Baroness Charlotte Vere of Norbiton, Minister for Roads, Buses and Places, praised the news in a tweet, calling the law change “vital”.
She wrote: “We're one step closer to making almost any use of a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel illegal.
“We laid documents in Parliament which will bring about this vital measure.
“Subject to necessary approvals, we expect the change to come into effect by March 25.”
The law will also become tougher as the use of smartwatches, tablets and laptops behind the wheel will apply.
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It is currently illegal to text or make a phone call, other than in an emergency, using a hand-held device while driving.
The Government had previously announced last year that it would tighten the rules on the use of mobile phone
The new changes make it illegal to use a hand-held device under virtually any circumstance while driving.
Edmund King, President of the AA, said: “The AA has long campaigned to toughen up these rules, and we welcome this announcement.
“This is a much needed upgrade of the law to help make our roads safer.
“Mobile phones offer many distractions and this sends a clear message that picking them up to use them will not be tolerated.
“The law will also become tougher as the use of smartwatches, tablets and laptops behind the wheel will apply.
“Drivers will be extremely limited on when they can pick up their phone, mainly to call the emergency services when there was no opportunity to safely pull over and to make contactless payments at drive-thrus.
“Being sat in a traffic jam or waiting at the lights is not an excuse, we want people to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.”
The Government says that drivers will still be able to continue using a device ‘hands-free’ while driving, such as a sat-nav, if it’s secured in a cradle.
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