Mobile phone driving laws: everything you need to know

Using a phone, sat nav or other device while driving is illegal and puts both you and others at serious risk. As a result, the punishment for being caught is severe.

It’s important to understand the rules and penalties before you get behind the wheel. Even using your device hands-free can become problematic if your phone blocks your view of the road.

On this page, we look at the potential costs of using your mobile phone while driving and cover exceptions to the law.

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The law on phone use

It’s illegal to hold any device that can send or receive data while driving or riding a motorbike – even if it’s in 'airplane' mode. You can't use your device to make calls, text or take pictures.

In March 2022, the law was updated to close a loophole that had previously allowed drivers to avoid prosecution for using their device for purposes other than calls or messages, such as taking photos or watching videos.

Laws regarding phone use still apply if you're stopped at traffic lights, queuing in traffic or driving a car with an auto-stop function when the car is in idle mode.

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Exceptions

In some cases, using your phone won't lead to legal consequences.

For example, Gov.uk states that you can use a device if you're parked or:

• you need to contact 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop
• you're making a contactless payment in a vehicle that's not moving
• you're using the device to park your vehicle remotely.

Using devices hands-free

Using your mobile hands-free while driving won't result in any penalty points.

If you haven’t done so already, pair your device with your car using Bluetooth – you can do this by going to your device settings on iPhone and Android.

Alternatively, you can try using a Bluetooth headset, a windscreen mount or a built-in sat nav.

Explore our guide to the best car phone holders – our testers took car phone mounts out for a spin on miles of bumpy roads to find the best for ease of use, adjustability, grip and stability.