Warning to drivers using mobiles

Drivers will have a choice of a fine or watching a presentation if caught

Police officers will be stationed outside Welsh fire stations in a week-long operation to catch drivers using mobile phones.

It will also target those not wearing seat belts and aims to educate offenders about the dangers.

But if they are spotted, offenders will be given the chance to avoid paying a fine by watching a 10-minute safety lecture at a nearby fire station.

Officers will be positioned in areas with high crash levels.

The action is part of Road Safety Week involving all three emergency services.

If drivers are stopped by police, they can agree to pay a £30 fine if they are not wearing a seat belt. The mobile phone user can agree to accept three penalty points on their licence and pay a £60 fine.

Otherwise, they can attend the fire station, which will be nearby, to see a 10-minute presentation on the consequences of distractions at the wheel and not wearing a seat belt.

DANGERS AT HOME AND ON THE ROAD IN SOUTH WALES: HOMES Fires: 2007 - 1,056; 2008 - 722 Deaths: 2007 - 6; 2008 - 5 Injuries: 2007 - 95; 2008 - 45 ROADS Collisions: 2007 - 1318; 2008 - 1237 Extrications: 2007 - 280; 2008 - 217 Deaths: 2007 - 18; 2008 - 19 Injuries: 2007 - 554; 2008 - 533 Source: South Wales Fire and Rescue Service

Chief fire officer Andy Marles from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said their role in educating people in safe driving was becoming more important.

"Firefighters in south Wales attend thousands of road traffic collisions every year and witness some of the dreadful consequences of simple mistakes made every day by people behind the wheel," he said.

"We hope that this week we can make a difference by working with our colleagues in the other emergency services.

"Hopefully we'll get to people to change their ways, before our firefighters have to deal with them in a real road crash."

Gerry Wilson, the area ambulance officer for Cardiff, urged motorists to watch their speed and concentrate solely on driving when out on the roads.

'Lapse in concentration'

"It only takes a momentary lapse in concentration to destroy somebody's life, and tear a family apart," he said.

South Wales Police's road safety manager Wayne Tucker said he thought more people would choose to watch the video than be fined in the operation.

"The video should make people question their actions when getting into their vehicle, and realise what awful consequences can result from simple decisions they make," he said.

In the latest national framework for fire and rescue services issued by the Welsh Assembly Government, it states that each service must work in partnership with relevant agencies to reduce death and injury on the road.

Road Safety Week is run by the charity Brake.