Road safety charity Brake has welcomed reports that transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin is considering new proposals to increase the severity of sanctions against individuals that are found guilty of using their mobile phone while driving.

Based on recommendations put forward by Metropolitan Police chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the minister has now asked for detailed research to be carried out into the impact of doubling the number of penalty points individuals who flout the law in terms of using their phone when in charge of a vehicle are given.

This would see the current three-point penalty doubled to six and could act as a significant deterrent to this dangerous behaviour.

Responding to the news, Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend commented: "This is a welcome proposal and we hope the government will implement it.

"Brake has long campaigned for tougher penalties for mobile phone use at the wheel because of the suffering we see the bereaved and injured victims of road crashes put through as the result of such a senseless and unnecessary risk."

She added that it is not just drivers themselves that are being placed at risk through these dangerous actions, but also innocent members of the public and other road users that are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Furthermore, Ms Townsend argued a blanket ban on the use of mobile phones – included hands-free kits – should now also be considered, as she cited research stating that the act of simply answering a hands-free call could pose the same risks as picking up the device itself.

According to the government's ongoing safer driving campaign Think!, individuals who use their mobile phone while driving are up to four times more likely to be involved in a serious accident.

In addition, reaction times for individuals involved in this activity can be 50 per cent slower than those who are paying full attention to the road ahead of them, while even the act of receiving a call or text message can break a driver's concentration – causing them to face a greater risk.

As such, the campaign advises all drivers to take a number of simple precautionary steps to ensure their mobile does not become a distraction to them when behind the wheel, including never making or answering a call while driving, switching off phones to reduce this risk or placing them out of reach where they cannot be accessed while the vehicle is in motion.

The present penalties for individuals found guilty of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving include three penalty points on an individual's licence (although this could soon change) and fines of up to £100.

However, should a case go to court, these fines can increase to as much as £1,000 per offence and motorists could see their licence revoked.

"Our message to drivers is clear: switch your phone off, put it out of sight and reach, and remove the temptation to jeopardise someone's life for the sake of a call or text," Ms Townsend concluded.