Using mobile phones while driving – data, facts and figures

Consumer Editor

5 minute read|9th Jun 2026

Mobile phones have become essential to everyday life, but their presence behind the wheel is proving deadly.

From quick glances at notifications to hands-free conversations that still distract the brain, device use while driving is a growing factor in collisions in the UK and worldwide.

Despite laws and public awareness campaigns, many drivers continue to underestimate the risks.

This legal guide examines the data and the the real-world consequences of using a mobile phone behind the wheel.

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Rising illegal mobile phone use

New RAC research shows more drivers now admit to using handheld phones to browse, text or post on social media than at any time since 2018. The proportion has climbed steadily since the pandemic, reaching 15%. This is up from a low of 7% in 2021.

A fifth of drivers (20%) say they check messages or notifications while driving, the highest level since 2016. Meanwhile, 12% admit taking photos or videos behind the wheel, up from 8% last year.

The share of drivers watching or recording videos or livestreaming has nearly doubled year-on-year to 9%. Among under-25s, this rises sharply to 27%, while 25–44-year-olds have also seen a notable increase.

The only decline recorded is in handheld voice calls, now at 20%, down from 27% in 2024. However, this is offset by growth in other high-risk phone use.

Young drivers using mobile phones

Younger motorists are far more likely to break the law. Nearly half admit making handheld calls, while 39% send messages. Video calls, filming and even gaming while driving have all reached record highs in this group.

Government data

Government data shows mobile phone use contributed to 340 collisions in 2024, including 20 fatalities. Convictions have also risen, reaching 40,723 offences in England and Wales. This is the the highest level since 2016.

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Impact on UK roads

Our research shows there’s been a marked increase in the proportion of drivers – especially the young – admitting to using handheld mobile phones behind the wheel for all sorts of risky activities, including posting on social media and even livestreaming. The penalties if caught might be tougher now than they were in the past, but they clearly aren’t enough to stop a lot of drivers brazenly using their phones illegally. The fact fewer people admit to making and receiving voice calls should be a good thing, but in reality, all that’s happened is that this activity has been replaced by ones that are equally, if not more dangerous. So, in many ways some drivers’ use of handheld phones while in the car is simply mirroring the ever-increasing range of tasks they’re using them for when they’re not driving. Worse still, more motorists than ever are admitting to illegally watching or recording a video or livestreaming on their phones, including more than a quarter of young drivers and almost a fifth of those aged 25 to 44. The dangers associated with this are frightening, but our findings also indicate that surprisingly, drivers as a whole aren’t as concerned about other motorists using their phones illegally as they’ve been in the past. It seems this has reduced consistently in the years since the Government increased the penalty for the offence, perhaps because other issues like the state of the roads and high fuel prices have been most on drivers’ minds. Despite pole-mounted cameras now being used to look down into vehicles to catch drivers using handheld phones and not wearing seatbelts, our figures suggest there isn’t much concern about being caught. Effective enforcement is as vital as a deterrent, so we hope more police forces will start using the latest technology to remind drivers that this behaviour is illegal. The Government’s recently published Road Safety Strategy states the proportion of drivers using a mobile phone will be tracked every three years as one of 17 new Safety Performance Indicators. But our figures already confirm how big an issue this is, so we urge policymakers to consider what needs to be done now to tackle this very serious problem.