Young Drivers Caught Video Calling and Gaming at the Wheel
Shock stats reveal young UK drivers are twice as likely to make or receive video calls behind the wheel. While 8% of all drivers admit to video calling on the road, this jumps to 13% among 25 to 44-year-olds. Even more worrying, nearly one in ten drivers aged 17 to 24 (9%) confess to playing games on their phones while driving – three times the national average.
Handheld Phone Use Still Tops Driver Worries
The RAC’s 2020 Report on Motoring shows that handheld phone use is the UK’s second biggest motoring headache after potholes. A third of drivers (32%) fret over distracted drivers, while a huge 79% want new camera tech to nab offenders faster.
Almost one-third of drivers admit to using a handheld phone for calls in 2020 – the highest rate since 2016. Despite a drop, 42% of young drivers still flout the law, while 32% of 25 to 44-year-olds continue to risk their safety and others.
Texting and Notifications Drop, But Young Drivers Still Risk It
Good news: texting and messaging behind the wheel are falling. Only 8% of all drivers own up to texting while driving, down from 14% last year and 20% in 2016. But 15% of younger drivers (17-24) still play fast and loose, though this is down sharply from 37% in 2019. Checking texts or app notifications follows the same trend, with 14% overall and 22% of young drivers admitting to doing it in 2020.
Calls for Camera Crackdown to Catch Phone-Using Drivers
Since 2016’s ‘epidemic levels’ warning on mobile use at the wheel, tougher penalties have been introduced, but the problem persists. The RAC warns the current laws make enforcement tricky, as many phone activities aren’t explicitly banned, unless they impact vehicle control.
That’s why 79% of drivers back camera enforcement, with 52% strongly supporting its rollout. This tech, already successful in Australia, could revolutionise catching illegal phone users.
“While there’s been some progress, more people are now making calls at the wheel than any time since tougher penalties began,” said RAC spokesperson Simon Williams. “Video calls are a new, dangerous threat on UK roads. Drivers want illegal phone use treated as socially unacceptable as drink-driving.”
“The law’s high bar for conviction hampers police efforts. Motorists back camera tech because if offenders aren’t caught, the deadly behaviour won’t stop.”
Inspector Frazer Davey of Avon and Somerset Police added: “Using a mobile phone while driving puts everyone at risk. The consequences of distractions can be catastrophic. It’s simply not worth it.”
