More drivers are admitting to using their phones at the wheel, sparking fresh alarm about road safety. New research shows mobile phone use behind the wheel has climbed to levels unseen in eight years, prompting experts to warn of rising danger and lawmakers to face renewed pressure to act.
Phone use while driving returns to eight-year peak
Research from a major motoring organisation reveals a steady climb in on-road phone use. The proportion of drivers who say they text, browse or post on social media while driving now stands at 15%.
This rate matches the last recorded high from 2018. The trend reversed a pandemic dip, when the figure fell to just 7% in 2021, and has risen each year since.
Young motorists driving riskier than ever
Young drivers show the biggest jump in risky phone behaviours.
- Four in ten under-25s admit to making or taking video calls while driving.
- Nearly half of drivers under 25 reported making or receiving voice calls without hands-free equipment.
- Typing messages or posting on social platforms while driving rose sharply among the young, from 27% to 39% in a single year.
- The share of drivers photographing or filming while behind the wheel rose to 12%, up from 8% the prior year.
Road harm and prosecution statistics
Distracted driving is already leaving a clear mark on casualty figures.
- Mobile device use was linked to about 340 collisions in the latest year.
- Of those crashes, roughly 20 were fatal.
- Convictions for handheld phone offences reached 40,723 in 2024 in England and Wales.
- That figure is up from 36,813 the year before and exceeds the 36,660 recorded in 2017.
Penalty changes and public attitudes
Legislation tightened in 2017. Fines were doubled and drivers now face £200 fines and six penalty points for handheld phone use.
Despite tougher penalties, the expected deterrent effect appears limited. Public worry about illegal phone use has fallen to just 19% from a high of 41% in 2016.
Voices from the motoring world
RAC analysts say the nature of phone use has shifted. Activities like posting on social media and livestreaming are replacing older behaviours.
Officials warn these new habits can be as dangerous or worse than past offences. They also note that some drivers do not seem afraid of enforcement, even as new detection technology is rolled out.
Enforcement technology and its limits
Police forces have started deploying pole-mounted cameras designed to spot illegal phone use.
But experts caution that improved detection alone may not change behaviour if drivers believe the risk of being caught remains low.
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