Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey said higher demerit points for illegal phone use would help change the way drivers act on our roads.

“We know from a recent RMS survey that 74 per cent of the community support a crackdown to illegal phone use behind the wheel. We all see it and the community has had enough,” Mrs Pavey said.

Shoalhaven Highway Patrol senior constable David Fuller said attitudes toward illegal phone use while driving needed to change. 

“The [increase in points] will hopefully encourage people to follow the law, and this issue is certainly in our focus,” he said. 

“I think as a society we need to curb the addiction- because that’s exactly what it is.”

In NSW it is illegal for learner, P1 and P2 licence holders to use a mobile phone while driving or riding. This includes when waiting at traffic lights or struck in traffic.

Fully licensed drivers and riders can only make a call on their phone if it is either in a cradle fixed to the vehicle or operated without touching any part of the phone, such as via Bluetooth or voice activation. 

“Using a phone while driving is addictive behaviour, you can’t use your phone and drive at the same time,” Senior constable Fuller said.

“It’s a deadly cocktail.” 

According to Transport for NSW Centre for Road Safety, even a brief glance at a mobile phone can be dangerous. A car travelling at 60km/h covers 33 metres in two seconds, meaning a motorist is effectively driving blind.