A new study has revealed that nine out of ten UK drivers struggle to complete a journey without touching their mobile phones.

The reality comes despite strict laws and rising road fatalities linked to distracted driving.

Addiction to the phone is not just a problem for school kids, but the population in general with an expectation to be contactable or digitally engaged at all times.

I have to get this…

The research, carried out by IMS (telematics and connected motor insurance technology provider) analysed behaviour data from over 500,000 drivers across the UK over the past year.

The findings shared exclusively with This is Money, show that only 10% of motorists manage to drive from start to finish without interacting with their phones, making mobile distraction one of the most prevalent forms of risky driving.

This widespread behaviour persists in the face of increasingly harsh penalties.

In the UK, drivers caught using a handheld mobile device face a £200 fine and six penalty points.

For newly qualified drivers, this could mean an automatic licence revocation.

In an effort to clamp down further, police forces have begun deploying AI-powered roadside cameras that can automatically detect mobile phone use and other distractions.

Engaged

Despite these efforts, mobile phone usage remains a persistent and growing danger.

Government data shows that mobile use was a direct contributing factor in 23 road deaths last year alone.

More broadly, ‘distraction or impairment’ was the third most common cause of fatal road collisions, playing a role in 34.9% of deadly crashes, according to the Department for Transport.

Young drivers are particularly susceptible.

The RAC recently reported that illegal phone use among drivers aged 17 to 24 has reached its highest rate in eight years.

This includes making or receiving calls, texting, or using apps while driving, all of which are illegal if done by hand.

Dialling tones

Paul Stacy, CEO of IMS, expressed concern over the findings:

“Our latest findings show the scale of the issue distracted driving has become on British roads and make clear that the vast majority of us are guilty of it. Smartphone distraction remains a significant contributor to road collisions and insurance claims.”

The insurance industry is responding by increasingly integrating smartphone-based telematics into usage-based insurance (UBI) policies.

These systems monitor driver behaviour and provide feedback—or even pricing incentives—based on how safely policyholders drive.

However, even with monitoring in place, the lure of a buzzing phone often proves too tempting.

Silent mode

RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis echoed the alarm: “We saw a reduction in motorists admitting to illegal handheld phone use after penalties were toughened in 2017, but numbers are rising again. Enforcement is key. We urge police forces to expand the use of roadside cameras and catch offenders in the act.”

Experts continue to stress that even hands-free calls can impair concentration.

The only safe approach is to set phones aside completely while driving.

With technology and legislation ramping up to combat the crisis, the question remains whether driver habits can change fast enough to reverse the troubling trend—and prevent more lives being lost to distraction.