COMPANY car drivers who use mobile telephones while driving are to be targeted in a new Government safety campaign. Immediate backing for the campaign came from Fleet Cost Management, where John Britcliffe, executive director of sales, said fleet operators had a duty to take action against employees using car phones while driving, regardless of whether legislation arrives.

'Certainly fleets which permit - or expect - drivers to take calls using a hand-held mobile phone while racing towards their next appointment are guilty of negligence, and they could even be putting their drivers in a position where they could face criminal proceedings,' he said.

The Government's move comes amid increasing concerns about the use of mobile phones by motorists while on the move following two recent court cases concerning deaths caused by drivers using mobile phones.