That’s just for the first offence. 

Able Driving School owner Glen Gaudron is appealing for stronger penalties to be imposed on anyone caught playing with their phones behind the wheel of a moving vehicle.

At present, drivers who breach mobile phone road rules face fines in the hundreds of dollars and a loss of demerit points.

But Mr Gaudron said it did nothing to keep residents from the lethal distraction. 

His push for change comes amid startling statistics, released on Thursday morning. 

Police from the NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol Command issued more than 1200 infringements for mobile phone use across a one-day, state-wide traffic operation on Wednesday. 

This number was almost double other driving offences recorded during Operation Compliance.

Officers condemned the act as selfish, as it showed “a complete disregard for personal safety and the safety of everyone else on the road”.

Mr Gaudron echoed the sentiment, saying the law was simple: Don’t touch your phone while you’re driving. 

Yet, he said he saw residents behind the wheel, with their heads down, looking at a device every single day. 

“They’re putting everyone at risk, the way they’re going on,” he said. “They say it is as bad as drink-driving … at least they have their eyes on the road.” 

Mr Gaudron said texting, messaging or posting was a far worse distraction. 

“If it is as bad as drink driving, why haven’t they got the same penalty?” he said. 

“If they were fair dinkum there would be a loss of license for (phone-using drivers) too.” 

He said the being banned from the road for three months, six months or two years would make drivers think twice about their choices. 

“It’s a good idea,” Mr Gaudron said. “It’s a simple solution.”

His call for harsher penalties follows the announcement of tougher NSW road safety rules earlier this week. 

Under the state government’s new plan, cameras will be used to catch drivers using their phones.