The rise in illegal mobile phone use among young drivers in the UK has reached “concerning” levels last seen eight years ago, new data suggest.
Nearly 50 percent of drivers aged 17 to 24 admitted to using a handheld phone while driving in 2023, a substantial increase from 34 percent in 2022.
The figures, published by the automotive services company RAC on Wednesday, showed that younger drivers often engage in video calls and take photos or videos while driving.
Some 30 percent in the 17–24 age group admitted to video calls, while 19 percent said they would take photos or videos behind the wheel.
In the UK, it is illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device capable of sending and receiving data while driving or riding a motorcycle.
Offenders face six penalty points and a £200 fine. New drivers, within two years of passing their test, risk losing their licence upon receiving six points.
RAC’s 2024 Report on Motoring found that 55 percent of drivers under 25 reported making and receiving calls when driving, compared to 27 percent of the overall driving population and just 16 percent of those aged 65 or older.
Momentary Distraction
RAC road safety spokesman Rod Dennis said the findings were “extremely concerning.”“We suspect a major reason for this is drivers not believing they are likely to be caught. But hopefully, growing use of AI cameras which allow police to detect drivers breaking the law will get the message across that offenders will be caught and punished with six penalty points and a £200 fine.
“For young drivers who passed their tests in the last two years, this means losing their licences,” he said.
The policy and standards director for road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, Nicholas Lyes, warned that using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel “could cost you or someone else their life.”
“Even a momentary distraction can be disastrous, and it is deeply concerning to see that an increasing number of young people are using their phones while driving – particularly to make a video or to take a photo.
“Almost one in five drivers killed on our roads are aged 17-24, so action needs to be taken, not just by the police, but by drivers themselves who hold a great deal of responsibility behind the wheel,” he said.
RAC’s report said that among other driving distractions was applying make-up or shaving (42 percent), picking up an item dropped in the vehicle (35 percent) and adjusting car controls via a touchscreen (30 percent).
The proportion of motorists who admit to drink driving in the past year recorded a slight increase, from 7 percent in 2023 to 8 percent.
Casualties and Enforcement Measures
Official data show that young drivers aged 17 to 24 in the UK are disproportionately involved in road traffic collisions, leading to significant fatalities and serious injuries.In 2021, 32 percent of killed or seriously injured casualties from collisions involving at least one younger car driver were males aged between 17 and 24, while 17 percent were females in the same age range.
“Anyone who uses a mobile phone at the wheel in any way is not just risking their own lives, but those of their passengers and all other road users. The only ‘screentime’ drivers should have in the car is looking through the windscreen as they focus on the road,” said Dennis.
The increase was largely attributed to a change in the law in 2022 that broadened the scope of the offence.
Government measures to tackle dangerous driving include the use of unmarked police cars and motorbikes and lorries equipped with cameras to detect offenders.
Roadside detection systems that identify mobile phone signals are being trialled in certain areas in the UK. These systems alert drivers with warning signs if they are caught using their phones.
Under the Operation Snap scheme, members of the public are allowed to send dashcam footage of dangerous driving, including phone use, to law enforcement.
