Any use of hand-held mobile phone while driving to become illegal
19 November 2021
After the government strengthens existing laws to further improve road safety, the police will soon be able to more easily prosecute drivers using a hand-held mobile phone at the wheel.
It is already illegal to text or make a phone call (other than in an emergency) using a hand-held device while driving. Laws will go further next year to ban drivers from using their phones to take photos or videos, scroll through playlists or play games.
The implication of this is that anyone caught using their hand-held device while driving will face a £200 fixed penalty notice and 6 points on their licence.
It has been reported that drivers will still be able to continue using a device ‘hands-free’ while driving, such as a sat-nav, if it’s secured in a cradle. They must, however, always take responsibility for their driving and can be charged with an offence if the police find them not to be in proper control of their vehicle.
The changes follow a public consultation that found 81% of respondents supported proposals to strengthen the law and make it easier for culprits to be prosecuted.
The government will revise The Highway Code to explain the new measures. It will also be more precise about the fact that being stationary in traffic counts as driving, making it clear that hand-held mobile phone use at traffic lights or in motorway jams is illegal except in very limited circumstances.
There will be an exemption to the new law for drivers making a contactless payment using their mobile phone while stationary to ensure the law keeps pace with technology.
This exemption will cover, for example, places like a drive-through restaurant or a road toll, and will only apply when payment is being made with a card reader. It will not allow motorists to make general online payments while driving.
The Department for Transport has also today published a study by Ipsos Mori about drivers who use mobile phones while driving. Among other findings, the research reveals younger motorists are more likely to have used a handheld device at the wheel, supporting the focus of the government’s award-winning THINK! campaign, which works to boost road safety by targeting higher-risk, younger motorists and road-users.
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