DRIVERS caught using their phones in NSW will now be slapped with five demerit points, raising the penalty from four.

The new rule will make NSW the state with the toughest penalty for this offence - and you could potentially lose your licence in a double demerits period.

It is likely to fuel calls for the penalties in WA and other states to be made tougher.

At present, drivers caught using their mobile phone in WA will be hit with three demerit points.

Police catch about 1000 Perth drivers a month using their phones but they say their message clearly isn’t getting through.

Last month, The Sunday Times reported that Perth drivers have a fetish with using their phones at high speeds.

A reports found that Perth motorists are more likely to be caught fiddling with their mobile phones on the freeways than on slower speed roads.