Penalties For Drivers Using Their Phones; New Driver Guide

From 1 March 2017, drivers caught using their mobile phone whilst behind the wheel will receive a £200 fine and 6 penalty points on their licence. 

For new drivers (if you've held your licence for less than 2 years) 6 points will result in your licence being revoked.

This means you'll have to apply and pay for a new provisional licence, then start the whole learning process again; passing both the theory and practical test before you can start driving again. 

Some tips to avoid getting your licence revoked:

• Don't use the phone at ANY point of your journey, regardless of if you're stopped at traffic lights or stuck in busy traffic - you're still behind the wheel. 
• Turn your phone off, turn it to silent or do not disturb to avoid any distractions.
• Keep your phone out of reach; in the glove box or boot (out of sight, out of mind)
• If you're using your phone as a sat nav, or for music during your journey, set it up before you start your journey.
• Remember - nothing is more important than your life, or the lives of those around you. Keep your eyes and concentration on the road, that Snapchat can (and will) wait. 

Facts about phone usage behind the wheel*

• Drivers that use phones, either hands-free or hand-held, have been found by researchers to be four times more likely to be in a crash resulting in injuries than drivers not using a phone at all[1];
• Drivers on phones are more likely to be blame-worthy in crashes [2];
• After interacting with an information system such as a phone or other device, it can take nearly half a minute to regain full attention [3];
• Surveys suggest drivers aged 18-35 are most likely to read and respond when behind the wheel [4];
• Head-up Display (HUD) technology that displays information on a windscreen is being marketed as safer but may encourage longer distraction times. [5]