While it has been illegal to use a mobile phone to make calls or texts for some time, in 2022 the UK Government plan to extend laws further to include a ban on hand-held mobile phone use under any circumstances. The mobile phone may be used as a sat-nav if it is held in a cradle, and drivers must be responsible for their vehicle and may be prosecuted if they are found not to be in proper control. The extended rules will ban drivers from using their phones to take photos or videos, scroll through playlists or play games.
Acknowledging the increased use of mobile technology for payment transactions, it will be possible to use it to make mobile payments in specific cases, such as a drive-through takeaway, or at a tollbooth while stationary. Other than that, those found guilty will incur a £200 fine and 6 points added to their licence.
In an update to the Highway Code, it will be made specifically clear that mobile phones must not be used while driving, and that this includes at traffic lights or when stationary in traffic.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says: “Too many deaths and injuries occur while mobile phones are being held.
“By making it easier to prosecute people illegally using their phone at the wheel, we are ensuring the law is brought into the 21st century while further protecting all road users.
“While our roads remain among the safest in the world, we will continue working tirelessly to make them safer, including through our award-winning THINK! campaign, which challenges social norms among high-risk drivers.”
