More than 600,000 motorists just click away from drive ban

More than 600,000 drivers face disqualification with just a selfie or “one touch of their phone”, a road safety charity has warned.

The punishment for using a mobile behind the wheel was toughened in 2017, with the last loophole closed last year. Those caught face six penalty points and a £200 fine.

Motorists who accumulate 12 or more points within three years are usually handed a six-month ban from the roads.

And that could hit 547,287 drivers with six points on their licence as of August 5, and a further 94,088 with nine points, says IAM RoadSmart.

The number of drivers at risk was 6% and 8%, respectively, higher than a year earlier. The figures are based on a response to a freedom of information request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

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Virtually all hand-held use of mobiles is banned. A loophole allowing drivers to escape punishment if they were taking a photo or playing a game was closed in March last year.

Official statistics show 22 people were killed and a further 148 badly hurt in crashes on UK roads in 2022 when a driver using a mobile was a factor.

Nicholas Lyes, from the IAM RoadSmart safety group, said: “It is astounding that there are more than half a million drivers just one touch of their phone away from a driving ban.

“Anyone with six points on their licence that is tempted to text or take a selfie on their phone is not only risking a ban but is a potential danger to themselves and other road users.

“A pinging phone can be a massive distraction, so it is best to put it out of sight, out of reach and on silent.

“Drivers with any number of points on their licence – but especially those with six or nine – should not only evaluate their driving skills but think about the risk a driving ban could have on their livelihoods.

“The worrying jump in the number of people with points on their licence should be a wake-up call to the Government to roll out new enforcement measures and publish their updated road safety strategy.”

Cyclist Michael van Erp, who runs the CyclingMikey YouTube channel, said that he has reported 1,555 drivers for motoring offences since 2019, resulting in a total of 2,161 penalty points being handed out.

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