Heading
Close X
Menu
By Craig Hale
A mobile phone driving offence was recorded every 17 minutes between 2023 and 2025, according to our new Freedom of Information (FOI) data.
Figures supplied by 30 UK police forces show 92,333 offences involving the use of a handheld mobile phone or device while driving were recorded across the three-year period.
Mobile phone driving offences recorded per year:
A further 17,243 offences have already been recorded in the latest 2026 data (Jan-July), taking the number identified through the research since the start of 2023 to more than 109,000.
Features like Bluetooth and sat nav can make focusing on the road easier. Browse our full range of used cars with helpful tech.
Of the police forces included in the study, Greater Manchester Police recorded the highest number of mobile phone driving offences across the three-year period, with 11,994 offences between 2023 and 2025.
Kent Police followed with 7,541 offences, while Essex Police recorded 6,013.
The police force areas with the highest combined totals were:
Together, the top three forces accounted for more than 25,000 offences across the three-year period.
The latest figures supplied to Marshall Motor Group show 17,243 mobile phone driving offences have already been recorded in 2026 from January to July.
Greater Manchester Police again had the highest total in the latest data with 2,264 offences, followed by West Midlands Police with 1,321 and Essex Police with 1,194.
Thames Valley Police recorded 1,041 offences, while Surrey Police recorded 1,000.
Several police forces also supplied information on how mobile phone driving offences were detected.
Methods included direct observation and roadside stops by police officers, footage submitted by members of the public through schemes such as Operation Snap, and camera or mobile enforcement technology.
Greater Manchester Police recorded 3,668 officer-witnessed offences and 259 third-party submissions in 2025.
In Dorset, 402 offences were officer-issued in 2025, while 154 were recorded through Operation Snap.
Gloucestershire Constabulary recorded 174 detections following traffic stops, 77 through Operation Snap and 48 through camera officers during the same year.
The research also highlights some of the roads where high numbers of mobile phone driving offences were recorded.
Greater Manchester Police recorded 388 offences on the A56 Bury New Road between 2023 and the latest 2026 data supplied.
In Lincolnshire, the A1 recorded the highest number of offences in each of the three full years analysed, with 60 in 2023, 95 in 2024 and 70 in 2025.
Merseyside Police ran a specific operation to catch drivers using their phones on the M6 southbound between junctions 23 and 22 in 2024, resulting in 739 offences.
Ben Welham, motoring expert, said: “Using a handheld phone while driving can take a driver's attention away from what’s happening around them, even if they only look at it for a few seconds.
“The safest approach is to put your phone away before setting off and avoid anything that could tempt you to pick it up while driving. If you need to make a call, send a message or change something on your phone, wait until you are safely parked.
“Drivers should also remember that the rules apply when they are stopped in traffic or waiting at lights, not just when the vehicle is moving.”
By Craig Hale
A mobile phone driving offence was recorded every 17 minutes between 2023 and 2025, according to our new Freedom of Information (FOI) data.
Figures supplied by 30 UK police forces show 92,333 offences involving the use of a handheld mobile phone or device while driving were recorded across the three-year period.
Mobile phone driving offences recorded per year:
A further 17,243 offences have already been recorded in the latest 2026 data (Jan-July), taking the number identified through the research since the start of 2023 to more than 109,000.
Features like Bluetooth and sat nav can make focusing on the road easier. Browse our full range of used cars with helpful tech.
Of the police forces included in the study, Greater Manchester Police recorded the highest number of mobile phone driving offences across the three-year period, with 11,994 offences between 2023 and 2025.
Kent Police followed with 7,541 offences, while Essex Police recorded 6,013.
The police force areas with the highest combined totals were:
Together, the top three forces accounted for more than 25,000 offences across the three-year period.
The latest figures supplied to Marshall Motor Group show 17,243 mobile phone driving offences have already been recorded in 2026 from January to July.
Greater Manchester Police again had the highest total in the latest data with 2,264 offences, followed by West Midlands Police with 1,321 and Essex Police with 1,194.
Thames Valley Police recorded 1,041 offences, while Surrey Police recorded 1,000.
Several police forces also supplied information on how mobile phone driving offences were detected.
Methods included direct observation and roadside stops by police officers, footage submitted by members of the public through schemes such as Operation Snap, and camera or mobile enforcement technology.
Greater Manchester Police recorded 3,668 officer-witnessed offences and 259 third-party submissions in 2025.
In Dorset, 402 offences were officer-issued in 2025, while 154 were recorded through Operation Snap.
Gloucestershire Constabulary recorded 174 detections following traffic stops, 77 through Operation Snap and 48 through camera officers during the same year.
The research also highlights some of the roads where high numbers of mobile phone driving offences were recorded.
Greater Manchester Police recorded 388 offences on the A56 Bury New Road between 2023 and the latest 2026 data supplied.
In Lincolnshire, the A1 recorded the highest number of offences in each of the three full years analysed, with 60 in 2023, 95 in 2024 and 70 in 2025.
Merseyside Police ran a specific operation to catch drivers using their phones on the M6 southbound between junctions 23 and 22 in 2024, resulting in 739 offences.
Ben Welham, motoring expert, said: “Using a handheld phone while driving can take a driver's attention away from what’s happening around them, even if they only look at it for a few seconds.
“The safest approach is to put your phone away before setting off and avoid anything that could tempt you to pick it up while driving. If you need to make a call, send a message or change something on your phone, wait until you are safely parked.
“Drivers should also remember that the rules apply when they are stopped in traffic or waiting at lights, not just when the vehicle is moving.”
