Phone Behind the Wheel: Why UK Convictions Are at an Eight-Year High — and What Every Driver Needs to Know

There is something almost paradoxical about the statistic that landed in motoring headlines this week. We live in an era of hands-free technology, voice-activated navigation, wireless everything — and yet more drivers were convicted of using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel in 2024 than at any point since 2016. Not fewer. More. The problem, it turns out, is not going away. If anything, it is getting worse.

What the Data Actually Shows

Home Office figures, analysed and published by the RAC, reveal that 40,723 drivers were convicted of using a handheld mobile phone while driving in 2024. That is the highest conviction total in eight years, surpassing the figures recorded in 2023, 2022, and every year back to 2016. The Independent reported on the findings, which have prompted renewed calls from road safety campaigners for tougher enforcement and more sustained public-awareness campaigns.

To put that number in perspective: that is roughly 112 convictions every single day of the year. One every thirteen minutes. And these are only the drivers who were caught, prosecuted, and convicted — the tip of a very large iceberg.

The RAC's own research has consistently suggested that a significant proportion of drivers admit to using their phones at the wheel at least occasionally. A 2023 RAC survey found that around one in four drivers admitted to making or receiving calls on a handheld device while driving, despite knowing it was illegal. The conviction data does not capture deterred behaviour; it captures only those who were caught. The real scale of the problem is almost certainly far larger.

Why This Matters More Than You Might Think

It would be easy to dismiss phone use at the wheel as a victimless habit — a quick glance at a text, a brief call at a red light. But the evidence is unambiguous and alarming.

Research by the Transport Research Laboratory has found that reaction times for drivers using a handheld phone are around 50% slower than normal — worse, in fact, than drivers at the legal alcohol limit. A driver travelling at 70mph covers roughly 31 metres per second. Even a two-second distraction means travelling the length of a double-decker bus without your eyes on the road.

The Department for Transport's own data links mobile phone distraction to dozens of fatal and serious collisions every year. Campaigners argue the true figure is higher, because distraction is notoriously difficult to prove at the scene of an accident.

The surge in convictions is not simply a sign that more people are offending — it also reflects a gradual recovery in enforcement activity following the disruption of the pandemic years, when traffic volumes and police patrols both fell sharply. As roads returned to normal, so did enforcement. But the conviction figures suggest the underlying behaviour never really improved.

The Legal Angle: What the Law Actually Says

The legislation governing mobile phone use at the wheel has been strengthened significantly in recent years, and many drivers are still unaware of exactly how broad the rules now are.

The key change came in March 2022, when the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended) and the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations were updated to close what had become a well-known loophole. Previously, the law specifically prohibited using a phone for calls and texts — but drivers had escaped prosecution by arguing they were scrolling social media, taking photographs, or checking apps rather than making a call. Courts had upheld those arguments in some cases.

The 2022 amendment made it illegal to use a handheld device for virtually any interactive purpose while driving, including:

• Scrolling through social media
• Taking photographs or videos
• Checking or sending messages via any app
• Using the internet
• Playing games

The only exemption is using a device to make a contactless payment — for example, at a drive-through — while the vehicle is stationary. That is a narrow and specific carve-out.

The Penalties

The standard penalty for a handheld phone conviction is:

• £200 fixed penalty notice
• Six penalty points on your licence

For drivers who have held a licence for less than two years, six points means an automatic licence revocation — you lose your licence and must retake both theory and practical tests from scratch. For experienced drivers, six points sits halfway to a totting-up disqualification, which kicks in at twelve points within three years.

If the case goes to court — which can happen if the offence is contested or if there are aggravating factors — the fine can rise to £1,000, and disqualification becomes possible.

What About Hands-Free?

Hands-free use — a phone mounted in a cradle, connected via Bluetooth, with the driver not physically holding the device — remains legal in the UK. However, there is an important caveat that many drivers overlook: if a police officer believes your hands-free use is causing you to drive without due care and attention, you can still be prosecuted under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 for careless driving. The law does not give hands-free a blanket pass on safety grounds.

What Drivers Should Know: Practical Guidance

The rise in convictions should serve as a genuine wake-up call. Here is what every driver needs to understand before they set off.

1. "Stationary" does not mean "safe to use your phone" Being stopped at traffic lights does not make handheld use legal. Your engine is running, you are on a public road, and you are still "driving" in the eyes of the law. The only time handheld use is permitted is when you are parked safely with the engine off — and even then, some caveats apply.

2. A phone mount does not make everything legal If you are using a cradle, you must not pick up or hold the device. Tapping a screen briefly to accept a call is a grey area, but physically holding the phone — even momentarily — crosses the line. The safest approach is to set your navigation before you move off and use voice commands for everything else.

3. Do-Not-Disturb modes are your friend Both iOS and Android have driving modes that suppress notifications and send automatic replies to messages. They take thirty seconds to set up and cost nothing. Use them.

4. Passengers can help If you regularly drive with a passenger, designate them as your phone operator. They can read messages, navigate, and handle calls without you touching anything.

5. If you are caught, seek legal advice promptly Fixed penalty notices for mobile phone offences can be contested if there are grounds to do so — for example, if the evidence is unclear or if the device in question was not in use as alleged. Before accepting six points, it is worth understanding whether a court hearing might produce a different outcome. That said, contesting without solid grounds risks a higher fine.

6. New drivers face the harshest consequences If you passed your test within the last two years, a single conviction for phone use will end your driving career temporarily. It is not an exaggeration to say that one moment of distraction could cost you your licence, your job, and potentially your independence.

Looking Ahead: Will Things Get Tougher?

The RAC's response to these figures has been to call for more enforcement — specifically more dedicated camera systems capable of detecting handheld phone use automatically. Several forces have already trialled AI-enabled detection cameras that can identify drivers holding phones at the wheel, with the technology proving highly accurate in pilot programmes.

There is also growing pressure on the government to consider whether the current penalty — six points and a £200 fine — is sufficiently deterrent. Some road safety groups have argued for mandatory disqualification on a first offence, bringing the UK in line with some European jurisdictions. Others have called for graduated penalties based on driving history, so that repeat offenders face automatic bans rather than simply accumulating points.

The political will for tougher measures appears to be building. The Department for Transport has signalled interest in expanding camera-based enforcement, and the 2022 legal changes were widely seen as a precursor to stricter penalties rather than the final word.

What is clear is that the cultural normalisation of phone use — the instinct to check a notification the moment it arrives, regardless of what you are doing — is not going to be solved by law alone. It requires a genuine shift in how drivers think about the device in their pocket. The phone can wait. The road cannot.

The bottom line is straightforward: 40,723 convictions in a single year is not just a statistic. Behind each one is a driver who took a risk, got caught, and now carries six points and a fine. Behind many more are near-misses that never made it into any dataset at all. The technology to keep your hands free and your eyes on the road has never been more accessible or more affordable. There is simply no good reason to hold a phone at the wheel — and increasingly, there is every reason not to.