Six months ago, the Bucks Free Press launched a campaign in a bid to get the message across about the real dangers of using a mobile phone at the wheel and call on people to end the madness before more lives are lost.

The team at the Free Press hears about the dangers and consequences far too often, but the tragic death of innocent pedestrian Hilary Haines was the final straw.

The 69-year-old pensioner was killed after truck driver Timothy Mason, 65, hit her in his 32-tonne lorry and then failed to stop at the scene.

Call records found Mason had been on the phone for 12 minutes before the crash, only terminating the call 16 seconds after the point of impact.

He was jailed for three years and banned from driving for five years from the date of his release.

The campaign, launched on the front page of the paper in February, was given the backing of council leaders and MPs after it was launched, with politicians pledging their support to the important initiative.

Since then, the Free Press has highlighted important stories around using a phone at the wheel, including one where half of UK drivers admitted to being distracted while driving because of mobile phones, and named and shamed those who were caught.

The latest story was about a shocking new campaign, which shows the final texts sent by drivers before being killed, being launched.

The drivers were killed in crashes as a result of texting behind the wheel with one even suggesting ironically it was not appropriate to text while driving.

A more positive story found that 70 per cent of Brits said they were firmly against using a hand-held device while driving, with the proportion of Brits who “disagree strongly” with the practice reaching its highest level since current records began.

Tough new laws, which came in last year, mean drivers now receive six penalty points on their licence – up from three – and can be fined £200 if they are caught with their phones at the wheel.

But even that has not managed to deter people, with three per cent of those surveyed saying they agreed strongly that the practice is safe.

We hope that the campaign has had some impact in the community. If it can save even one life or stop a new generation of drivers from looking over at their phones, it will have been worth it.