If you think distracted cell-phone-using drivers in the United States are nuisances, just be glad you’re not in the British Isles .

In South Wales , the problem of drivers text messaging on their cell phones has gotten so bad, the Traffic Police Department has upped the fines from 30 pounds to 1,000 pounds – approximately $1,800 here in the states, according to a police press release.

In addition, some parts of the UK have begun installing cameras that can peer inside vehicles to watch for violations, such as text-messaging and not wearing seat belts, resulting in more than 20,000 tickets in 2004, according to mobile technology magazine MobileMag.