RE: They’re not enforced.
In my part of the world, they’re enforced haphazardly.
You can get away with it by proving that the call was very important and could not wait.
I've even gone through a license check point with everyone in front of and behind me that I could see chatting away as the move up in line, not a one of the folks ahead of me stopped using their phone for any longer than it took to hand the officer their license and get it back. They were talking again as they drove off. If my license had been expired by two days I'd have had to call someone to come and get me and the car.
Which is the greater hazard? The outlawing of it was just another feel-good thing as far as I can tell.
Glad to hear they at least take a stab at it some places, though. A officer I'm friends with says three out of five accidents he works are at least in part caused by someone talking on their phone or typing with their thumbs and the people more often than not admit it. No fault insurance, so no problem.