Texting while driving ‘rife’ among young drivers
Fri, 12 Dec 2025
Young drivers are struggling to detach themselves from their smartphones with a new survey revealing 43% of those aged 17-24 admit to reading or writing a message at the wheel.
A further third admit to using a handheld mobile phone to record footage or take a photo while driving.
This compares to just 16% of drivers aged 45-54.
IAM RoadSmart, which conducted the survey, says the findings reveal a concerning snapshot of young drivers over the past 12 months.
Using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel is illegal, even when stopped at traffic lights or in a queue of traffic. Penalties include a £200 fine and up to six penalty points.
For young drivers, the risk is even greater, as they can potentially lose their licence if they passed their test within the last two years, under the provisions of the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995.
Four in 10 younger drivers said they’d also made video calls using handsfree technology – something that, while technically legal, carries the risk of distraction and eyes being taken off the road.
"The statistics show that a troubling number of young people are not only dicing with death, but are also putting themselves at huge financial risk by giving into the urge or using their smartphone," says IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards Nicholas Lyes.
"Even if the risk of a serious collision isn’t enough to deter this behaviour, losing your licence so early on will stunt your employment chances, disrupt education and put you at a significant financial disadvantage.
"It’s almost a decade since the penalties were increased for mobile phone-related driving offences, and we would support upping the fine level once again.
"Perhaps a good place to start might be by matching the fine to the price of a new smartphone."
Figures from the Department for Transport show that, in 2024, 154 people were killed or seriously injured (KSI) where using a mobile device was identified as a factor. A further 920 KSIs were attributed to distractions either inside or outside the vehicle.
