DRIVERS are still ignoring tough new penalties and putting lives at risk by using mobile phones at the wheel.

New measures were brought in to crack down hard on drivers who use their handsets, including a £60 fine and three penalty points.

But despite these deterrents and extensive publicity of the issue, motorists seem unable to resist the temptation to pick up when they're behind the wheel.

The Daily Echo carried out a random assessment at the busy Cemetery Junction between 11.30am and 12.30pm yesterday.

In the hour we spent at the intersection, we caught nine motorists either taking or making calls, or texting on their phones.

Worryingly, phones don't seem to be the only distraction, with people spotted putting on make-up and even taking pictures with a digital camera while driving.

Many of the phone users we spotted seemed to think it was fine to use their handset while waiting at traffic lights.

But the law clearly states the driver must have car must be stationary with the engine off before picking up.

Dorset Police have revealed how they had issued 55 fixed penalty tickets in the first week of the new laws.

They say they will continue to enforce the new legislation rigorously.

"If you chose to use a mobile while driving you will be caught and have to face the consequences," said a police spokesperson.

"Drivers who continue to use their mobile phones while driving are a danger to themselves and other road users, and will face the tougher penalties the law now allows."

The new legislation also extends to drivers who fail to have proper control of a vehicle while using a hands-free mobile phone.

It also applies to driving instructors, who are not permitted to use a mobile while carrying out lessons.