VEHICLES should be 'electronic-free zones' to prevent drivers becoming distracted and causing crashes on our roads, the boss of Thames Valley Police has said as his officers led a crackdown on the city streets.

Police and crime commissioner Anthony Stansfeld said the Government needed to have a 'serious look' at the way people are punished for using mobile phones while driving.

He told the Oxford Mail drivers were distracted by 'playing on devices' such as phones, sat navs and other gadgets.

His comments come as Thames Valley Police officers carried out a patrol between the Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabouts yesterday to catch commuters using their phones.

Traffic officers said using a phone behind the wheel should be as 'socially unacceptable' as being over the drink-drive limit.

Mr Stansfeld said he would lobby to crackdown on one criminals using phones.

He added: "We have got to take this more seriously. The government is at the moment looking to at changing legislation to increase sentences and I support that.

"It's people playing on devices. It's the media systems and sat navs which are diverting people from looking out of the front window and we have got to sort that out.

"I think a car should be an electronic free place."

Between 8am and 10am in Sunderland Avenue yesterday, officers stopped 14 people, six for mobile phone use and eight for not wearing a seatbelt.

On Wednesday, the force stopped 20 drivers on the A34 and London Road for using their phones as part of a national campaign to clamp down on the crime.

Chief Inspector Henry Parsons, of TVP roads policing unit, referred to the 'hideous' case involving Tomasz Kroker, in which the lorry driver ploughed into the back of a car on the A34, killing four members of a family.

He added the public were getting to the stage of viewing mobile phone use as bad as drink driving.

Kroker admitted he had been changing music on his phone at the time of the crash and was jailed for ten years.

Ch Insp Parsons added: "We are hoping the public really understand why we are doing this - it is so dangerous.

"It kills people. It's just not worth it, it's horrible.

"The Kroker case, sadly, goes on day in day out across the country, the only difference with that case is it was captured on video and we are making use of that.

"Some of these officers were on duty for that and responded to that.

"The families involved in the A34 crash have been really brave in releasing the video and that video is what can change the public view. That's the only good thing to come out of that tragedy."

Sergeant Ed Crofts said drivers using phones had 'become a habit', often due to people checking smart phones.

"People take that risk and think they can get away with it. It becomes a habit. What needs to happen is it needs to be socially unacceptable like drink driving has become and that will make our roads safer.

"My advice is switch it off, put it on silent, put it out of reach."

Campaigners for road safety Brake said they welcomed the government's intent to double penalty points, but said the financial penalty needed to be increased 'significantly' from the £200 currently.

Lucy Amos, spokeswoman for Brake added: "The cut in the numbers of specialist traffic police has had a dramatic impact on the levels of national enforcement, and we urge the government to make roads policing a national policing priority to prevent illegal, risk-taking behaviour behind the wheel."

In the Thames Valley are, officers gave out 11,221 fixed penalty notices in 2011/12 compared to 10,103 in 2015/16.

Suggestions had been made that the decrease in notices over the five years was due to fewer patrols and enforcement because of police funding cuts.

But Mr Stansfeld said the cuts were not a reason for the reduction in penalties, but that hands-free technology meant fewer people were committing the offence.

He added: "With hands-free I think it is alright as you can talk to some on in your car while you're driving. The difference in when people are fiddling with devices.

"I don't think hands-free is particular good, but it is a lot better than using a phone."