Most drivers are unable to complete a car journey without using mobile phone

9th May 2025

A new study has revealed that the majority of drivers in the UK are unable to drive without touching their mobile device when behind the wheel.

The shocking report from IMS, a global authority in telematics and connected motor insurance technology, has highlighted the problem of mobile phones being used while driving.

In fact, nine out of ten drivers struggle to complete a journey without being distracted by their phones.

This is despite the risk of £200 fines, six penalty points, and the increasing use of advanced roadside cameras to detect mobile phone use by drivers.

There have been a series of new artificial intelligence cameras being used to catch drivers illegally using their mobile phones.

The research shows that only 10% of motorists manage to drive from start to finish without interacting with their device.

The data is based on survey results from 500,000 drivers over the past year, originally shared exclusively with This is Money.

Government data showed that last year, mobile phone use was a contributing factor in 23 road fatalities.

However, official statistics also show that ‘distraction or impairment’ was the third most common cause of fatal crashes, playing a role in 34.9% of deadly incidents.

IMS’s CEO Paul Stacy said: “Our latest findings show the scale of the issue distracted driving has become on British roads and makes clear that the vast majority of us are guilty of it.

“The insurance industry is increasingly using smartphone technology to monitor and manage the road risk of policyholders that buy a usage-based insurance product, and from this data, we can see that smartphone distraction remains a significant contributor to road collisions and insurance claims.”

RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis continued: “We saw a reduction in motorists admitting to illegal handheld phone use after the penalties were toughened in 2017 following pressure from the RAC, but numbers are on the rise again now.

“In fact, our research shows the proportion of young drivers making and receiving calls illegally hit its highest rate in eight years in 2024.

“Enforcement of the law is critical, so we encourage police forces to roll out more roadside cameras to catch people in the act and get them to change their ways.”