Recently-released data has revealed a worrying trend in the number of offences recorded across the Orana Highway Patrol sector.

According to figures released by the Office of State Revenue (OSR), $98,908 worth of fines were handed out during the 2016/17 financial year, a 31.4 per cent jump on the 2015/16 figure of $75,283.

The information confirms that the rate of offences recorded for mobile phone use continues to rise, with the total of 304 significantly higher than the 78 recorded back in the 2011/12 financial year.

Orana Local Area Command’s Acting Superintendent Scott Tanner said the use of phones while driving is becoming a target area of police, and warned the figures may keep going up.

“Usually when we target different things those stats do go up, for the simple reason that we are looking harder at people that are doing it,” he said.

“But the rise in those figures is also indicative of our society that everyone is impatient, they use their mobile phones all the time, and the dangers are inherent.

“I remember back in 1994 I was stationed at Wallsend and got called to one of my first fatal car accidents.

“It was on the F3 and a bloke had crossed from his lane into another lane, forced a car off the road, that car crashed and the person died.

“That person was on a mobile phone. I remember the sergeant at the time saying if this technology kicks over we’re going to have more and more of these. That was in 1994.”

Countless methods of education, including advertising campaigns,have been used to try and stem the use of phones by drivers.

But Act Insp Tanner and his colleagues remain frustrated that the message isn’t sinking in.

“It’s a constant battle to educate people but it’s a pretty simple idea – you’re in the car, just drive the damn car,” he said.

“People don’t see the consequences. That distraction of checking your text or who is calling can have life-changing effects.

“We educated on drink-driving and our toll came down, we educated on seat belts and it came down, now we have got mobile phones, and other things like drug-driving and fatigue that we have to get on top of

“Unfortunately it’s not until something happens that we correct our behaviour. Out of those figures, how many have lost a loved one in a car accident?

“If they had they probably wouldn’t be running the risk of talking or texting while driving.”