Eighty people have been booked by South Wales Police for using a mobile phone while behind the wheel if their car, it emerged today. New hard-line legislation was introduced in December but motorists using phones at the wheel were given a "bedding down" period to become aware of the rules.

Enforcement began five weeks ago and since then officers have issued 79 drivers with fixed penalty notices of £30.

Road safety officer Sergeant Nigel Whitehouse said: "I think we have got past the stage where people are not aware. There has been sufficient advertising since December when the legislation came in.

"They are aware and have totally ignored it. It's a dangerous practice and is a proven killer. We are looking at zero tolerance across the force area."

All drivers who have been issued with a notice have accepted it. If they had contested it, they would have gone to court to face a maximum fine of £1,000.

Drivers of lorries and buses face a fine of £2,500.

"That's an expensive phone call in anybody's book," he added. "If you get into a vehicle and you've got a phone, either turn it onto answer phone or better still, turn it off completely."

Adverts giving drivers exactly this advice are set to appear on buses throughout Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire, to tie in with a national awareness campaign that kicks off in March.

Derek Evans, from the Swansea group of the Institute of Advanced Motorists said: "I should imagine people are aware of it now as it has been well and truly publicised.

"Where people do ignore the warnings it's probably through personal choice and they might think they will never be caught.

"Driving standards deteriorate when you use a phone as you are not really focussed on what's going on around you. The safest thing you can do is switch it off."

Mobile phone shops in Swansea are still seeing huge interest in hands-free kits.

Owner of the Phone Company in Sterry Road, Gowerton, Christine Winter, said: "They are still selling. There are very, very few people who aren't aware of the legislation.

"We had a huge interest just after the legislation went through but we are still selling kits with about 10 per cent of the phones we sell."