Using Your Phone While Driving: UK Law, Fines, and What's Legal

Since March 2022, it has been illegal to hold and use a mobile phone for any purpose while driving in the UK. This expanded the previous law, which only covered calls and texts. The penalties are severe: 6 penalty points and a £200 fine as a minimum.

What Is Illegal

It is illegal to hold a phone in your hand for any reason while driving, including:

• Making or receiving calls
• Sending or reading texts or emails
• Taking photos or videos
• Browsing the internet or social media
• Playing games
• Scrolling through playlists or music apps
• Using the camera (including for dashcam-style recording)
• Any other interactive function

The key word is hold. If the phone is in your hand while you are driving, you are committing an offence regardless of what you are doing with it.

What IS Legal

• Hands-free calls — Using Bluetooth, a dashboard mount, or your car's built-in phone system to make or receive calls without holding the phone
• Sat nav in a cradle — Using your phone as a sat nav is legal if it is in a cradle or mount, and you set the destination before you start driving. You should not interact with it while driving
• Contactless payment at a drive-through — Using your phone for contactless payment (e.g., at a drive-through) is legal provided the vehicle is stationary
• Calling 999 or 112 in a genuine emergency — If it is unsafe or impractical to stop, you can use a handheld phone to call emergency services
• When parked with the engine off — You can use your phone freely when parked and the engine is switched off

Penalties

For new drivers who passed their test within the last 2 years, a single phone offence (6 points) means automatic revocation of their licence. They must reapply for a provisional and pass both tests again.

Dash Cams and Phone Interaction

Using a dash cam is legal in the UK, but if it is a phone-based dash cam app, the phone must be in a cradle and you must not interact with it while driving. Setting up the app before driving is fine; touching the phone while driving is not.

Stationary in Traffic

The law applies whenever your engine is running, even if you are stationary in traffic or at traffic lights. If your engine is on and you pick up your phone, you are committing an offence. The only exception is if you are safely parked with the engine off, or in a genuine emergency.

Final Thoughts

The message is simple: do not hold your phone while driving. The risks are not just legal — looking at a phone for just 2 seconds at 30 mph means you travel 27 metres effectively blind. Put your phone out of reach, use hands-free if you must take calls, and set your sat nav before you start the engine.