Driver convictions for mobile phone use at the wheel up 90% in a year

A huge 90 per cent annual increase in the number of drivers convicted for illegal use of mobile phones in cars has been attributed to increased use of covert camera policing. The soaring conviction rate saw 13,332 drivers found guilty in 2023, up from 6,990 the year before, and means conviction rates have reached a seven-year high.

While the increase appears shocking, the rise is attributable to changes in the law increasing the range of mobile phone offences that were implemented in March 2022, coupled with more intense police enforcement. Campaigns targeting phone use increasingly use roadside cameras, unmarked camera vans recording the illegal activity of unsuspecting phone users on motorways, and targeted periods of enforcement. This is according to the AA which has been crunching Ministry of Justice figures released last month.

“Despite a high-profile change in the law, it seems many drivers are still falling foul when it comes to using a mobile phone behind the wheel.” says AA head of roads policy Jack Cousens, adding that although the organisation was a lead campaigner for tougher enforcement, too many drivers are failing to heed the law.

“It seems too many fear missing out on their notifications,” he says. “The best thing to do is convert the glove box into a phone box and keep the mobile out of reach.”

The Ministry of Justice figures also reveal a big increase in the numbers of drivers failing to pay their road tax, with numbers of convictions almost doubling in a year to 99,694.

Convictions for drivers jumping red lights or failing to comply with signs were at a 12-year high in 2023, the AA says, with 11,940 found guilty by magistrates. However, speeding convictions fell by 8 per cent, with 203,500 guilty verdicts handed out, while drink and drug driving convictions stayed at roughly the same levels as 2022.

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