Dorset drivers are being urged to kill their conversations and switch off their mobile phones before getting behind the wheel in a bid to cut road deaths across the county.

Road safety teams in Bournemouth and Poole councils have joined forces with Dorset County Council in a bid to hammer home the message that being distracted is one of the key reasons why drivers crash.

From March until July some of the worst distractions including using mobile phones, eating and drinking at the wheel and checking hair and make-up, will be highlighted in radio commercials and by bus advertising.

Fiddling with the car CD or radio controls and chatting with passengers can also cause a serious distraction when driving.

Motorists who insist on using their mobile phones while driving face three penalty points and a £60 fine. And even using a hands-free phone can result in prosecution if the motorist is judged not to be in proper control of their vehicle.

Robert Smith, team leader for road safety at Dorset county council, said: "A good driver is one who doesn't allow distractions to affect their concentration. Good driving requires 100 per cent concentration, the whole time."

The county council's cabinet member for transport Cllr Geoffrey Brierley said: "Switch off your mobile phone and keep your attention on driving safely.

"No phone message is so important that it can't wait until you have stopped and are parked."

Cllr Mike White, cabinet portfolio holder for transportation at the borough of Poole, urged drivers to think about their actions and remember that missing a phone call won't kill them.

Cllr Robert Lawton, Bournemouth council's portfolio holder for environment and transport, said: "Distraction is a factor in many crashes. If this campaign prevents even one more fatality it will be worth it."