The jailing of a Labour peer should act as a warning for company drivers about the dangers of flouting mobile phone laws.

Lord Ahmed was driving his Jaguar when he collided with a car stopped in the outside lane of the motorway on Christmas day 2007.

The driver of the other vehicle was killed.

The court heard how the 51-year-old had sent and received text messages minutes before he was involved in the fatal crash on the M1.

And, while the judge accepted there was “no causal link” between his texting and the accident, Ahmed was jailed for 12 weeks, banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay £500 prosecution costs.

Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving was made illegal in December 2003.

Two years ago, in February 2007, the Government toughened the punishment for offenders to three penalty points and increased the fine from £30 to £60.

But, the AA calculates that 1000,000 drivers are continuing to break the law by using a hand-held phone while driving at any one time.

“In the event of an accident, police now routinely check mobile phone records to find out whether the use of a phone was a contributory cause,” explained Edmund King, the AA’s president.

“All too often we see mobile motoring madness on our roads, but motorists must now get the message about the dangers.”

Work-related road deaths account for around 1,000 deaths each year, making it the largest cause of occupational fatalities in the country.

There have been 27 cases of a fatal accident in which a mobile phone was involved since 1998. Most defendants were found guilty and served or are serving a prison sentence, the most severe being seven years.

Fleet managers should be aware of the three major pieces of legislation that relate to these areas:

  • The Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008;
  • The Road Safety Act 2006 and
  • The Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act 2007.