A road safety website where anyone can report bad driving is asking motorists to make a new year's resolution: switch off your mobile when you get behind the wheel.

A law banning the use of handheld mobile phones was introduced in February 2007.

But since then just under 1,500 drivers have been spotted using one and reported to BetterDrivingPlease.com.

Incredibly, that's nearly a quarter of all reports on the site.

There have also been high profile cases during the year, such as immigration minister Liam Byrne. He was fined £100 after being stopped by police while on the phone in Birmingham.

Founder Andrew McGavin believes the only safe way to avoid temptation is to switch your mobile off.

He said: "We live in a society where people expect to be able to contact you anytime, anywhere.

"But research released in September showed that using a mobile phone behind the wheel could be worse than drink driving.

"We have to make it as socially unacceptable as that crime. The only safe thing to do is to switch your phone off when you get into the car. That way there is no temptation to answer it or make a quick call."

The research found that motorists using mobile phones were found to be four times more likely to crash ? even if they had a hands free kit.

BetterDrivingPlease.com displays all reports of bad driving for anyone to see.

To view reports of people caught using mobile phones in this area, go to www.BetterDrivingPlease.com and type ?mobile' into the white search box.

Andrew added: "Being out of contact for a few hours is a minor inconvenience compared to being stopped by the police, or worse being in accident because you were concentrating on your call and not the road."


NOTES TO EDITORS

• For any further information, quotes or interviews, a BetterDrivingPlease.com spokesman is available. Please email press@publicityheaven.com or call Paul Green on 08452 303049
• To find specific reports of bad driving in this area, go to www.BetterDrivingPlease.com and enter the area in the Keyword search box
• You are welcome to publish any information you find on the website
• A factfile, logo, screenshots and other press resources are available online at http://www.betterdrivingplease.com/press.press.asp
• The September 2007 research was released by yesinsurance.co.uk