A drivers license is a proof that you understand the risks of operating a vehicle around others. Not just that you can imitate a conscientious driver during the test, but that you prove it through your conduct on the road.
License renewals ensure that you still understand what's expected of you and learn what new considerations are required. As it stands, a renewal involves waiting in line to be cheated $75 for a piece of plastic.
In cases where people are actually putting others at risk by not paying attention, fines are not a sufficient solution. If they prove that they don't understand the inflexible responsibility of driving, then a penalty is not going to fix that. It's a mistake to pretend otherwise, people still speed.
There is nothing dangerous about driving with an active phone, the danger is in neglecting your right to a drivers license. The people who are conscious of the responsibility don't deserve to be arbitrarily fined for using their judgment.
The police exist to keep people safe but they've become a financial institution. Fines are an injury relative to income, they are justified as a last resort for obvious reasons. If I can't get any reasonable justification, then this is isn't justice.