Drivers warned against mobile phone use behind the wheel
Road safety charity Gem has warned drivers that stricter regulations around mobile phone use behind the wheel also apply in stationary traffic.
The rules cover making calls, sending texts, scrolling a playlist, programming a satnav, taking photos and just checking notifications. Penalties include a £200 fine and six points.
The warning comes after government data revealed that mobile phone use was a contributory factor in 32 fatal collisions in Great Britain in 2025, although it believes the true scale is likely to be higher because distraction from hands-free phone use is not always identified or recorded.
Studies show that using a mobile phone at the wheel makes a driver around four times more likely to be involved in a crash, with the risk similar for both hand‑held and hands‑free use because of the distraction it causes.
GEM is now urging all drivers to treat mobile devices as off‑limits while driving, and to use safer alternatives such as setting navigation and music before moving off, using in‑car controls, or pulling over in a safe place and switching the engine off before using a phone.
Offence
GEM head of road safety James Luckhurst said: “Too many drivers still believe that checking a message at the lights, changing a playlist in slow‑moving traffic or nudging a satnav when they’re in a queue is somehow different from using a phone on the move. It isn’t; the law is clear that if you are driving, and you have a phone in your hand for pretty much any reason, you’re committing an offence.
“Modern enforcement technology means there’s now a much greater chance of being caught, even if you think no one is watching. But more important than the fine or the points is the risk that a moment’s distraction could cost someone their life.
“So our message is simple: set it before you set off or pull over in a safe place and switch off the engine before you touch your phone.”
