More than 16,000 UK drivers were caught using a mobile phone or device between January and October last year. And despite stricter laws being introduced last year to deter drivers from breaking the law, UK police forces issued a staggering £3.3m in fines.

Data from 31 UK police forces revealed that 16,547 drivers were caught using a mobile phone last year, even with stricter laws introduced in 2022. 

It’s common for UK motorists to have access to a mobile phone, sat nav or touch screen radio while driving. And while it may seem innocent to quickly change a song or set a location on maps, interacting with such devices when behind the wheel is illegal. With tighter penalties introduced last year, it’s now illegal to adjust your route on maps or a sat nav without pulling over in a safe place.

But it’s likely that the introduction of these stricter rules has left many UK drivers confused when it comes to interacting with devices in their car.

If caught, drivers could face fines of up to £200 and have six points issued on their licence. So it pays to be aware of the current laws, especially as the latest research also reveals that mobile phone use is still a big problem in the UK.  

According to a survey of 2,000 UK motorists, more than 2 in 5 (41%) were caught using their phone or other device when behind the wheel last year. And for drivers who have been caught by police in the past, it’s clear that mobile phone distractions are a common problem on UK roads. That’s as driver's most common reasons for being caught were because of reading a text/message (35%), or accepting/declining a call (33%). Around 1 in 3 (30%) were also caught playing a game on their phone. This seems like a huge risk considering breaking mobile phone laws is costing Brits millions in fines. However, data shows that 1 in 3 (34%) are more concerned about the safety implications of using a mobile phone than the actual fine. A further 1 in 3 (33%) also said that there should be more measures in place to catch people using their mobile phone when driving.

But although the laws have tightened in the past 12 months, research shows that many drivers continue to put themselves at risk. That’s as more than half (51%) of motorists admit to interacting with a mobile phone while driving. And the most common scenarios were when they were waiting at traffic lights (31%) or sat stationary in traffic (28%)

And it’s not just mobile phones that can take your focus away from the road. Over a quarter of UK motorists said they’ve interacted with other devices while driving, such as a sat nav (27%) or touch screen radio (28%). While this may seem less dangerous than using a mobile phone behind the wheel, these devices can still be distracting. And some drivers agree, as around 1 in 5 (21%) think in-car touch screen systems are actually more distracting than mobile phones.