Car phone penalty is set to rise

Fines for those caught while driving are now £150

The penalty for driving in Jersey while talking on a mobile phone is set to rise by £50.

The courts are to get tougher on drivers who break the law and the Magistrates Court has released new sentencing guidelines.

The guidelines come into force on Thursday. Fines for those caught on a phone while driving are now £150.

And people caught driving 30 or more mph above the speed limit will be banned for at least six months.

In the past first time offenders were unlikely to be prosecuted for speeding unless they were driving 30mph over the limit, this has now been reduced to 25mph.

The amount of time a driver will be banned has also gone up in all categories of dangerous driving.

In normal level offences, the ban period has doubled to one year.

Penalties of two to three months in jail have been set out for those caught driving while disqualified.