RAC reveals shocking rise in drivers doing this one thing even though it's illegal

It has been 21 years since using a mobile phone while driving became punishable by law - but the number of young drivers illegally doing so has reached its highest rate in eight years.

New figures released in the RAC’s Report on Motoring reveal that over half (55%) of drivers aged under 25 have admitted to making and receiving voice calls while driving. This records a rise of six percentage points from 2023, and three percentage points since 2016, which is when the data was first recorded. Overall 27% of drivers admitted to making or receiving voice calls while driving and 16% of those aged 65 or older admitted to doing so as well.

Additionally, four in ten, or 43%, of young drivers said they listened to a voice note while driving without using the hands-free features whereas 40% said they have recorded such a message. In comparison, the same rates for the overall people who drive were at 14% and 9% respectively.

In terms of other types of handheld phone use by drivers across ages, 15% said they have checked messages on phones and one in ten (10%) said they used phones to write texts, emails or social media posts while behind the wheel. In another alarming trend, there has been a rise in the number of drivers taking photos, and/or recording videos in 2024 with 8% saying they have done so in the past 12 months. This is up from 5% in 2023 and 2022.

However, the rates of young drivers breaking the law is again higher, with 39% of those under 25 having manually checked messages while driving and almost a third, or 30% having taken a picture or recorded a video while driving. This recorded a steep rise from 2023 when it was at 19%.

40% of those aged under 25 have made or received a video call they were behind the wheel, recording a rise from 2023, when it was at 30% and from 2022, when it was at 17%.

RAC road safety spokesman Rod Dennis said: “It’s extremely concerning that despite now having a ‘zero tolerance’ handheld phone law in place, an increasing number of young drivers appear to be using their phones to call, text, voice note or even video chat while operating a vehicle. We suspect a major reason for this is drivers not believing they are likely to be caught.”

He said: “But hopefully, growing use of AI cameras which allow police to detect drivers breaking the law will get the message across that offenders will be caught and punished with six penalty points and a £200 fine. For young drivers who passed their tests in the last two years, this means losing their licences.”

“Anyone who uses a mobile phone at the wheel in any way is not just risking their own lives, but those of their passengers and all other road users. The only ‘screentime’ drivers should have in the car is looking through the windscreen as they focus on the road,” he added.