We’ve all been there. The lights turn green, nothing happens, then the cars waiting start beeping because the driver at the front has decided now is the perfect time to send a WhatsApp, skip Ed Sheeran or see whether the takeaway has arrived.
According to road safety organisation GEM Motoring Assist, that quick glance at your phone isn’t just annoying everyone behind you – it could also leave you £200 poorer and six penalty points closer to a driving ban. And if you passed your test within the last two years, you could lose your licence altogether after a single offence.
The organisation is reminding motorists that the UK’s mobile phone laws make it illegal to hold and use a phone while driving, even if you’re stuck in traffic or waiting at red lights. That means scrolling through Spotify, entering a destination into your satnav, checking notifications, taking a photo or replying to a message are all offences if you’re holding the device.
Government figures show mobile phone use was recorded as a contributory factor in 32 fatal collisions across Great Britain during 2025, although GEM believes the true figure is likely to be higher because distraction caused by hands-free devices isn’t always recorded. It also points to research showing drivers using a mobile phone are around four times more likely to be involved in a crash. Even hands-free systems, while legal, can cause significant distraction.
Police are increasingly using roadside cameras and AI-powered enforcement systems capable of detecting motorists holding phones in their hands or resting them on their laps.
James Luckhurst, head of road safety at GEM Motoring Assist, said: “Too many drivers still believe that checking a message at the lights, changing a playlist in slow-moving traffic or nudging a satnav when they’re in a queue is somehow different from using a phone on the move. It isn't; the law is clear that if you are driving and you have a phone in your hand for pretty much any reason, you’re committing an offence.”
Exceptions exist for genuine emergencies when calling 999, or when you’re stationary while making a contactless payment at a toll booth or drive-through.
So if the temptation strikes while you’re sitting in traffic, resist it. The playlist can wait. That meme probably wasn’t urgent anyway.
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