Can You Use A Mobile Phone While Driving In The UK?
No, using a hand-held mobile phone while driving in the UK is illegal. You cannot hold your phone to call, text, browse, take photos, or interact with it in any way while driving, including while stationary in traffic.
Since March 2022, the law covers any use of a hand-held device, not just calls and texts. The penalties are a £200 fixed penalty and six points on your licence, which directly affects your car insurance premiums.
The law appears simple, but important nuances around hands-free use, phone mounts, stationary traffic, and the specific activities that count as offences catch many drivers out.
No. Since the law was tightened in 2022 it covers any hand-held use at all — calls, texts, scrolling, photos — and it applies while you are stopped in traffic or waiting at lights, not just while moving. The penalty is six points and a £200 fine, which is enough to lose the licence of anyone who passed their test within the last two years. Hands-free and a fixed cradle remain legal.
Compare car insurance quotes and see what points on your licence are costing you.
- What does the law say about using a phone while driving?
- What activities are illegal while driving?
- What phone use is permitted while driving?
- What are the penalties for using your phone while driving?
- How does a phone conviction affect your car insurance?
- Why is phone use while driving so dangerous?
- What are the practical alternatives to using your phone?
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What does the law say about using a phone while driving?
Since 25 March 2022, it is an offence to hold and use a mobile phone for any purpose while driving. The 2022 regulations widened the scope of the original 2003 law, which only covered interactive communication like calls and texts.
What does ‘hold and use’ mean?
If the phone is in your hand, you are committing an offence regardless of what you are doing with it. Reaching over to pick it up while the car is moving counts as holding, even if you did not intend to use it.
The police do not need to prove what you were doing with the phone. Simply being caught holding it while driving is enough for a prosecution.
Does the law apply when stationary in traffic?
Yes, sitting at traffic lights, queuing in traffic, or waiting at a junction all count as driving. You cannot use your phone until the engine is off and the car is safely parked outside a live traffic lane.
What activities are illegal while driving?
Any interaction with a hand-held device is illegal. This includes calls, texts, social media, navigation, photos, videos, checking notifications, and even unlocking the screen or checking the time.
What about supervising a learner driver?
Anyone supervising a learner driver is subject to the same restrictions as the driver. Both the learner and the supervisor can receive separate penalties if both are caught using phones during the same journey.
What phone use is permitted while driving?
Hands-free devices, voice commands, securely mounted phones for navigation, emergency 999 calls, and contactless payments at stationary terminals are all permitted, provided you do not hold the phone at any point.
How should you use a phone mount?
A phone in a secure dashboard or windscreen mount is legal for navigation, provided you do not touch it while driving. If you need to change your route, pull over safely first.
Position the mount where you can glance at it without turning your head. Voice commands to a mounted device are permitted and are the safest way to interact with navigation while driving.
When can you make an emergency call?
Calling 999 or 112 is the one exception to the hand-held rule, though you should pull over if it is safe to do so. Full details are on the GOV.UK guidance page.
What are the penalties for using your phone while driving?
A fixed penalty of £200 and six penalty points on your licence. If the case goes to court, the maximum fine is £1,000, or £2,500 for lorry and bus drivers.
What are the penalty levels?
| Offence | Penalty |
| Fixed penalty notice | £200 fine + 6 penalty points |
| Court conviction (car drivers) | Up to £1,000 fine + 6 points + possible driving ban |
| Court conviction (HGV/bus drivers) | Up to £2,500 fine + 6 points + possible driving ban |
| New driver (under 2 years) | Licence revoked under New Drivers Act 1995 (6+ points) |
For young drivers who passed their test within the last two years, a single phone offence is enough to lose their licence entirely. Six points triggers automatic revocation, and they must retake both the theory and practical tests.
How does a phone conviction affect your car insurance?
Six penalty points for a CU80 (mobile phone) conviction cause steep increases to your premiums. Some insurers refuse to cover drivers with recent phone convictions, and you must declare the conviction when applying for or renewing insurance.
What should you expect?
Drivers with CU80 convictions can expect premium increases of 30% to 50% or more. Convicted driver insurance specialists can help if mainstream insurers decline to offer cover.
If you accumulate 12 points within three years, your licence is revoked and you must retake both tests before driving again. Our guide on car insurance costs explains how convictions and points affect your premium.
Why is phone use while driving so dangerous?
Using a phone while driving combines three types of distraction: visual (eyes off the road), manual (hands off the wheel), and cognitive (attention diverted from driving). This combination dramatically increases accident risk.
How much does it affect reaction times?
Research by the Transport Research Laboratory found that using a hand-held phone slows reaction times more than being at the drink-drive limit. Even hands-free calls reduce reaction times by up to 20 per cent.
At 60mph, a vehicle covers roughly 88 feet every single second. An extra second of delayed reaction means travelling that full distance before you even begin to brake.
What are the practical alternatives to using your phone?
Set your destination and music before you start driving. Use voice-only navigation, and pull over safely if you need to use your phone for anything that cannot wait.
How can technology help?
Most modern phones have a built-in driving mode that silences notifications and sends automatic replies. Bluetooth connectivity in most cars built after 2015 allows hands-free calls without touching the phone.
Black box insurance policies use telematics to monitor driving behaviour, including phone use patterns. Demonstrating safe driving habits through a black box can help reduce premiums, particularly for younger drivers.
Driving instructors should be especially aware of the rules, as they count as supervising drivers and are subject to the same penalties.
Our tips on lowering your car insurance premium include keeping a clean licence, which means avoiding phone use convictions entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
No, the offence covers holding the phone for any reason while driving. Simply having it in your hand is enough to be penalised, regardless of whether you are using it.
No, being stopped at traffic lights counts as driving. You cannot hold or use your phone until the engine is off and the car is safely parked outside a live traffic lane.
Yes, provided the phone is securely mounted and you do not touch it while driving. If you need to change the route or enter a new destination, pull over safely first.
Under the New Drivers Act 1995, any driver who accumulates six or more points within two years of passing their test has their licence automatically revoked. They must retake both the theory and practical tests.
No, passengers can use their phones freely. The law only applies to the person driving the vehicle or supervising a learner driver.