Motorists caught using mobile phones while driving are to face "much tougher penalties", with fines and points doubling, the UK government has said.
Under new rules expected to come in next year, drivers will get six points on their licence and face a £200 fine.
New drivers could also be made to retake their test if they are caught just once.
The RAC welcomed the move but said cuts to traffic police meant many drivers did not think they would be caught.
The new rules could also see more experienced drivers going to court if they offend twice, and facing possible fines of up to £1,000 and at least a six-month driving ban.
The increased penalties will be accompanied by a high-profile government Think! campaign highlighting the dangers of handheld mobile phone use at the wheel.
The Department for Transport said it expected the changes to take effect in the first half of 2017.
Earlier this week, a survey by the motoring organisation suggested nearly a third of UK motorists text, make calls and use apps while at the wheel, with the number having risen since 2014.
Half of the 1,700 people questioned said they had even taken photos and made films while driving.
Department for Transport figures show that a driver impaired or distracted by their phone was a contributory factor in 492 accidents in Britain in 2014, including 21 that were fatal and 84 classed as serious.
It has been illegal for years but it is still common to see a driver using a handheld mobile at the wheel.
So the government is trying to send out a message, to make illegal phone use as socially unacceptable as drink-driving or not wearing a seat belt.
One of the big questions now though, is how will it be enforced.
The RAC says the problem has snowballed in recent years, partly down to a cut in traffic police numbers. Cameras won't catch you using your phone.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "It may seem harmless when you are replying to a text, answering a call or using an app, but the truth is your actions could kill and cause untold misery to others.
"We all have a part to play in ensuring our family and friends do not use their phones while driving. I will be announcing a tougher new penalty regime shortly."
Earlier this month, van driver Christopher Gard, from Alton in Hampshire, was jailed for nine years after he hit and killed cyclist Lee Martin. He had at least six previous convictions for using a phone at the wheel.
The victim's brother, Darrell Martin, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There were opportunities to stop the man from driving around.
"The text message - think about how inane this is - it was about meeting his mate later and taking his dog for a walk. That's what killed my brother."
A lorry driver who fatally crashed into an off-duty police officer's car in June 2014 was jailed last week.
Danny Warby, 28, received six years in prison after his 13.6-tonne vehicle hit Det Con Sharon Garrett, seconds after he had opened a text message.
RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said toughening both the fine and the penalty points would help to deter people from committing an offence in the first place.
"However, it is just as important that laws are seen to be enforced, and the decline in the numbers of dedicated road traffic police has only heightened the feeling that those who use a handheld phone while driving simply get away with it," he said.
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