Hundreds of drivers have been slapped with hefty penalties for breaking major driving laws on UK roads, with offenders warned of court prosecution.
Reports by Cheshire Police revealed that a total of 969 penalty notices were handed out to drivers in recent years for using their mobile phones while behind the wheel.
The penalty notices saw drivers fined more than £400,000 between April 2024 and March this year for distracted driving while behind the wheel.
While the large number of fines this year has seen drivers punished for breaking the rules, it is still less than the previous year, when 1,114 fines were handed out.
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Across Cheshire, more than 900 drivers have been fined for using a mobile device while travelling
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Superintendent John Forshaw said: "Cheshire Police wants to make our roads safer for everyone. We will use all of the tools and powers available to us to help us achieve our goal.
"Using a mobile phone while driving is one of our Fatal Five offences, which we specifically target and deal with robustly."
He warned that driving while using a mobile phone "is not acceptable, and it will not be tolerated in Cheshire" with drivers caught breaking the law "dealt with accordingly".
Elsewhere, North Wales Police were found to have issued 886 fines to drivers, making a total of £177,200, between January 2023 and May 2025.
Speeding is another action that forms part of the Fatal Five
PAUnder UK law, using a mobile phone while behind the wheel can result in a driver being hit with a £200 fine and up to six penalty points.
This penalty can increase to £2,500 if the driver was operating a bus or lorry and is prosecuted in court. Drivers can also risk losing their driving licence if they passed their test in the last two years.
It has been illegal to use a mobile device while driving since 2003, with police forces warning that it is one of the Fatal Five on UK roads.
Other actions which form part of the Fatal Five list include careless driving, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and speeding.
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On top of being illegal, the action also breaches a key Highway Code rule which prohibits the use of a device while travelling.
Rule 149 detailed: "You MUST NOT use a hand-held mobile phone, or similar device, capable of interactive communication (such as a tablet) for any purpose when driving or when supervising a learner driver."
The rule also dictates how drivers "MUST NOT" pick up a phone or similar device while driving or use the device while stationary in traffic.
Cheshire Police shared: "Road users who commit one of the Fatal Five offences are far more likely to be involved in a fatal collision than those who do not."
Using a mobile phone while driving breaches Rule 149 of the Highway Code
GETTYThe police force warned that "people are dying on our roads as a result of motorists’ poor driving, reckless decisions and momentary lapses in concentration".
In 2022, the police detailed how 20 people lost their lives due to one of the Fatal Five, with 26 fatalities occurring in 2023.
Accident Claims Advice solicitor Michael Higgins added: "The number of mobile phone driving offences is extremely worrying. This is especially given the potentially devastating consequences of someone not paying full attention when operating a vehicle.
"A road traffic accident caused by someone looking at their phone while driving could turn a person's life upside down in a split second."
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