Drivers using phones to browse web at highest level since 2018 – poll

Neil Lancefield, Press Association Transport Correspondent

The proportion of drivers who admit to illegal phone use for something other than voice calls has reached an eight-year high, a survey suggests.

Some 15% of respondents to the poll of 2,238 motorists commissioned by the RAC said they have used a phone to browse the internet, text or make social media posts while driving.

That is the most in the annual research since 2018, when the figure was also 15%.

The proportion fell to a low of 7% in 2021.

One in 11 (9%) respondents to the latest survey said they have watched or recorded a video or livestreamed while driving in the past 12 months, up from 5% in 2024.

The rate is highest among the under-25s, rising from 23% in 2024 to 27%.

The only type of illegal phone use which has declined this year is making or receiving a voice call without a hands-free kit.

Some 20% of respondents admitted to doing this, down from 27% in 2024 and 23% in 2019.

Young drivers are by far the most likely group to engage in illegal phone use.

Nearly half (49%) of respondents aged under 25 said they have received a call without a hands-free kit, and 39% have typed a message or social media post while driving.

Latest Department for Transport figures show 21 people were killed in crashes on Britain’s roads in 2024 in which a driver using a mobile phone was recorded as a contributory factor.

Home Office data shows the number of people in England and Wales convicted for using a handheld mobile phone while driving was 40,723 for 2024, the highest level since 2016.

RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “There’s been a marked increase in the proportion of drivers – especially the young – admitting to using handheld mobile phones behind the wheel for all sorts of risky activities, including posting on social media and even livestreaming.

“The penalties if caught might be tougher now than they were in the past, but they clearly aren’t enough to stop a lot of drivers brazenly using their phones illegally.

“The fact fewer people admit to making and receiving voice calls should be a good thing, but in reality, all that’s happened is that this activity has been replaced by ones that are equally – if not more – dangerous.

“Some drivers’ use of handheld phones while in the car is simply mirroring the ever-increasing range of tasks they’re using them for when they’re not driving.”

Chief Constable Jo Shiner, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, said: “The rise in illegal handheld mobile phone use is deeply concerning, particularly among younger drivers where usage is significantly above average.

“Whether checking messages, filming or using apps, these behaviours take attention away from the road at critical moments.

“This is not a minor lapse in judgment. It is dangerous, reckless behaviour that puts everyone at risk and must be challenged through education and enforcement.”

A court heard last week that Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was stopped by police for watching a video on his phone while driving along the M6.

The Georgian international, 25, was convicted at Warrington Combined Court of using a handheld mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle on a road.

– The RAC commissioned research company Online95 to conduct the survey in late February and early March.