POLICE will be out on the streets this week during a campaign to crackdown on motorists who use their mobile phone while driving.

It is the first of two campaigns planned for this year and is designed to both educate drivers about the risks of using their phones behind the wheel and warn them about the serious consequences if they are caught.

In the year up to March 2014 4,020 drivers across Merseyside were caught using their phones while driving compared to 3,608 the previous year. Evidence from the road safety charity Brake indicates that the number of offences during 2014 has also risen significantly.

Sergeant Dave Williams from the MSOC Roads Policing Department said: "If you are speaking to someone, texting or updating social media when you are driving, you can't be concentrating on the road and as a result you are four times more likely to have a crash and your driving ability will be similar to if you are over the drink drive limit.

“If all hand held use of phones in cars was eliminated it's estimated the number of drivers dying on our roads would be cut by more than ten per cent and we are determined to do everything we can to reduce the number of casualties this type of behaviour causes.

"The campaign will be targeting people who still aren't getting the message about using their mobile phones and driving and if people are caught they can expect to be prosecuted.

"This is all about making the roads of Merseyside as safe as they possibly can be for all road users and pedestrians and the next seven days should highlight our on-going determination to change the behaviour of the minority of selfish drivers who still think it's acceptable to put themselves and others at risk by using their phone behind the wheel."