Experts are warning that drivers could be slapped with hefty fines and licence points if they are caught checking maps at the wheel.
Motorists who tap their navigation apps to confirm traffic conditions could find themselves in hot water.
Popular applications such as Google Maps and Waze frequently request driver input about road conditions, including verification of congestion, collisions or construction work.
These real-time prompts often appear while vehicles are travelling at high speeds, including on motorways.
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|Drivers could be slapped with penalty points and fines if they are caught breaking the law
Even when smartphones are properly secured in dashboard mounts rather than held in hand, responding to such notifications may still result in £100 fines and penalty points, industry experts have cautioned.
Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, has highlighted the legal uncertainties surrounding driver interactions with navigation technology.
He said: "Google Maps is a brilliant tool, but prompts asking whether there's congestion or a crash can be a real grey area when it comes to the law."
The motoring expert cautioned that even brief screen contact while operating a vehicle could expose drivers to enforcement action.
PA | Drivers are being urged to avoid tapping their phones when prompted with a maps update "If you interact with your phone while driving, even just to tap the screen or respond to a prompt, you might be putting yourself at risk of a fine," Conway warned.
Legislative changes implemented in 2022 significantly strengthened restrictions on mobile phone usage by drivers.
The updated regulations prohibit motorists from handling mobile devices for virtually any purpose when operating a vehicle, including screen illumination, notification checks, device unlocking or application usage.
Current legislation mandates that drivers must not hold any phone or electronic device while their vehicle is in motion.
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Hands-free alternatives remain permissible, including dashboard-mounted phones or integrated vehicle navigation systems.
However, the regulations contain ambiguities regarding screen interactions with properly secured devices, creating uncertainty about whether touching mounted phones to acknowledge traffic alerts constitutes an offence.
Conway explained that while West Yorkshire Police guidance indicates that touching a cradle-mounted phone doesn't automatically constitute an offence, such actions remain inadvisable.
"Even if you avoid prosecution for using a mobile device while driving, police still have the power to issue a careless driving charge if they believe your actions were distracting or dangerous," he noted.
These carry identical penalties of £100 fines and three penalty points on a driving licence.
However, drivers can be slapped with six penalty points and a £200 fine if they hold or use a phone while driving or riding a motorcycle.
In the event that the case is taken to court, they could be banned from driving or riding, and be slapped with a maximum fine of £1,000, or £2,500 if they are driving a lorry or a bus.
Motorists are encouraged to programme their destinations before commencing travel and refrain from any device interaction when in motion.