More than 70,000 drivers across the UK were penalised between 2023 and 2025, according to data obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Confused.com.

The offence carries a £200 fine and up to six penalty points on a driving licence.

Matt Crole-Rees, motoring expert at Confused.com, said: “Using your mobile phone when driving is not only illegal, but it can be dangerous for people in the car, on the roads, and pedestrians.

“While it could seem innocent to quickly go on your phone if your car is in traffic or at a standstill, it’s not worth the risk.”

Hotspots for drivers using their mobile phones

The highest number of fines were issued by Greater Manchester Police, with 11,987 penalties totalling more than £2.3 million.

Police Scotland handed out 7,107 fines, amounting to £1,421,400, and the Metropolitan Police issued 7,000 fines, equivalent to £1.4 million.

Enforcement peaked in 2024, with 27,712 drivers fined in that year alone.

Despite the strict penalties, mobile phone use behind the wheel remains widespread.

A separate OnePoll.com survey found that 59% of drivers admitted to using their phone while driving, with those aged 25 to 44 most likely to do so. Of those, 54% admitted to the behaviour.

The survey revealed that 22% of drivers had physically held their phone while driving, and 37% had interacted with it for activities such as reading messages or adjusting apps.

The most common reasons for phone use were answering calls (42%) and using navigation apps (40%).

Nearly half of drivers (48%) said they felt comfortable using their phone when stationary at traffic lights or in standstill traffic.

A further 26% admitted to using their phone in start-stop traffic.

A spokesperson for Confused.com said: “The findings showed phone use had become a routine habit for many drivers.

“While you are allowed to use your phone for navigation, it is a legal requirement to pull over wherever it is safe and turn off the engine if you need to make adjustments.

“Otherwise, even touching your phone can result in receiving fines or points.”

Most offenders (81%) were spotted by a police officer, while 26% were caught using AI camera technology.

The fine for using a mobile phone while driving can rise to £1,000 if the driver is prosecuted.

Most drivers who had been caught admitted to being penalised twice on average for the offence.

The village of Fringford, near Bicester, is made up of a primary school, a pub, a village hall, a garden centre and a church, with a scattering of houses hosting its small population.

A new planning application submitted to Cherwell District Council has proposed a collection of modern houses to extend the village towards the west.

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Described as a place with a ‘long history’, the application said evidence suggests that the settlement has existed for up to 2000 years.

Illustrative visuals of the proposed development (Image: Staniforth Architects / R2 Developments)

The plans are for nine new ‘family sized dwellings’ on land immediately to the north of Rectory Lane and north-west of Green Farm, Main Street, Fringford, which is currently in agricultural or equine use.

The planned homes are all detached dwellings apart from two, which are connected by single garages,

Developer RD Developments is seeking outline permission for the new homes and associated amenity space, including two off-road parking spaces per house, plus personal garage spaces, gardens and a central pond on the new housing site.

The houses would be places along a central access road a new footpath would be created to the east of the development, connecting it to the village.

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This application follows a similar plan from the same developer submitted in March 2024 which was refused by Cherwell District Council on six grounds, including the principle of development, character and appearance, impact on trees and highway safety.

Illustrative visuals of the proposed development (Image: Staniforth Architects / R2 Developments)

The developer appealed this decision and the six matters objected to were agreed with the council, but the planning inspector dismissed the appeal, on the grounds that it would harm the amenity of a neighbouring property, The Cottage.

Resubmitting the same application, the developer agreed to transfer land to the occupier of The Cottage to increase the size of their garden and ‘satisfy’ the objection to the scheme.

The application said: “In recognition of the relationship between the proposed development and the cottage located to the east, and response to concerns raised, a portion of land has been transferred to the neighbouring cottage increasing the size of its garden.

“This measure provides a clear enhancement to the immediate setting of the cottage, ensuring that its amenity space is improved rather than diminished as a result of the development.”

Illustrative visuals of the proposed development (Image: Staniforth Architects / R2 Developments)

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“Additionally, windows where required in the cottage will be replaced with acoustically insulated windows.

“The positive adjustments demonstrate commitment to addressing the neighbouring concerns delivering homes that integrate sensitively with its surroundings.”

The application is currently under consultation on the Cherwell District Council website, with a target decision date in June.

Hatherop Castle School, a prep school and nursery set in the rolling countryside of the Gloucestershire Cotswolds, near Quenington, had an unannounced visit from some neighbours during the first week of their summer term.

A herd of approximately 40 cows had broken free from their water meadow field and wandered along the lane, through the village of Quenington, to the green grounds of the school.

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Headteacher Nigel Reed spotted the visitors ‘brazenly’ wandering through the school gates as he did his rounds to wake the boarding pupils up at about 7am.

Headteacher Mr Reed rounded the visitors up into the walled garden (Image: Hatherop Castle School)

Using skills learnt in his childhood among the cattle and sheep of Bodmin Moor, Mr Reed quickly rounded up the ‘new pupils’ into the school’s walled garden where they could safely await rescue from the farmer.

Mr Reed said: “I often say that no day is ever the same when running a school, but Wednesday morning certainly was a first when a herd of cows had travelled through the night from near Fairford to come to school.

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“These mischievous young cows certainly made themselves at home – they did not want to leave! – and clearly were keen to stay for the first lesson.

“I was in my suit and tie, probably the smartest farmer around, as I and some colleagues herded them into the walled garden. 

The young herd had wandered four miles to arrive on the Cotswolds school’s grounds (Image: Hatherop Castle School)

“I think our youngest pupils were certainly keen to keep the cows and thoroughly enjoyed welcoming them to the Castle.”

The cows were later retrieved by the farmer, a tenant of The Ernest Cook Trust’s land from which the runaways escaped, who loaded them into cattle trucks and drove them the four miles home.

The cows being safely transported home by the farmer (Image: The Ernest Cook Trust)

A spokesperson for The Ernest Cook Trust said: “The context of the cows’ adventure is that these are well-cared for animals, but they do have minds of their own, and when working with living creatures and nature sometimes the unexpected happens – in this instance the cows’ curiosity got the better of them.

“It’s a reminder that farming is a 24/7 job, and this is why the Ernest Cook Trust has out-of-hours processes in place to support.

“Thanks to the community and the school, we were alerted to the incident quickly and the cows were rounded up.

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“We want to thank Mr Reed and the team at Hatherop Castle School for dealing with it so constructively and in such good humour. It made the round up quicker, safer, and more enjoyable for all.

“Sadly for the cows they missed out on any lessons, but the children had a nice time waving them off as they headed home.”

The Ernest Cook Trust is an educational charity grounded in the land and outdoor learning, which cares for 9.000 acres across estates in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire and enjoys a long relationship with Hatherop Castle School.