Warning as drivers could add £300 to car insurance if they break this rule

It's illegal to hold your phone while driving

Drivers are being warned that they could be adding over £300 to their car insurance premiums if they are caught holding their phone at the wheel.

According to research by Go Compare, car insurance can be £369 more expensive for driver caught using their phone. The study says that the median insurance price for those with no motoring offences on their policy was £625 in 2023, however, this jumps to £994 for those issued with a penalty for using a device while driving.

It is illegal to hold or use a phone whilst driving, and if you are caught you could also receive a £200 fine, meaning those who check their phone as they drive could be left £569 worse off as a result. If you do receive a penalty notice for this, Go Compare warns that you must inform your insurer or you could invalidate their policy.

As part of the study, Go Compare found that over a quarter of drivers admitted to holding and using their phones while behind the wheel when asked anonymously - it is estimated that this is equivalent to approximately 11.4 million motorists in the UK.

Go Compare says a "concerning detail" of this is that those who drive the most frequently are the most likely to check their phone on the road. According to its survey, 45% of those who drive daily admitted to using their phone. In contrast, under a third (28%) of those who drive only once or twice a week made the same confession.

Contrary to popular belief, Go Compare found that younger drivers were least likely to use their phone whilst driving, with only 14% admitting to it. Those aged 55 and over are also among the least likely to check their device while driving, with just a fifth admitting to it.

Drivers between the ages of 25 and 54 were found to be much more likely to use their phone while driving, with 25-39s being the main culprits - 39% of those from this age range confessed to checking their device. Men are also slightly more likely to check their phones than women, with 31% of male motorists admitting to this compared to just under a quarter (23%) of women.

Tom Banks, a car insurance expert at Go.Compare, said: “It’s alarming that such a significant number of motorists are taking such a dangerous gamble. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see a driver holding their device while on the road, and that poses a serious risk to everyone’s safety, as it means that an incident is statistically much more likely to occur.

“We can’t stress enough the importance of resisting temptation and leaving your phone untouched while behind the wheel - it simply isn’t worth the safety consequences. Then there’s the financial repercussions, too. Getting caught could leave you over £500 worse off, so it’s just not worth the risk. If you really need to use your phone, pull over as soon as it’s safe to do so before picking up your device.”