600k motorists just click away from drive ban

MORE than 600,000 drivers face disqualification with just a selfie or "one touch of their phone", a road safety charity has warned.

- Neil Lancefield

The punishment for using a mobile behind the wheel was toughened in 2017, with the last loophole closed last year.

Those caught face six penalty points and a £200 fine.

Motorists who accumulate 12 or more points within three years are usually handed a six-month ban from the roads.

And that could hit 547,287 drivers with six points on their licence as of August 5, and a further 94,088 with nine points, says IAM RoadSmart.

The number of drivers at risk was 6% and 8%, respectively, higher than a year earlier.