The May bank holidays typically see increased traffic on the roads, as 2025’s Early May Bank Holiday predicted one million more trips than the year before.
Now that the latest AI cameras are in use and look inside a vehicle, Alisdair Wilson, a motoring expert at motorbike insurance brand Lexham Insurance, is warning motorists across the UK to avoid one common driving habit that many may not even realise is illegal.
He highlights that motorists who even lightly interact with a mounted phone while on the move, i.e to dismiss a notification or to confirm a new route during navigation are still committing an offence as if a phone were in your hand.
Under UK law, this behaviour is classed as careless driving under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the penalty starts at a £100 fine and three points but can rise to a fine of up to £5,000 and nine penalty points in some cases.
Alisdair explained, “Bank holidays are one of the busiest periods on UK roads, and for many drivers and riders, they’ll also be navigating somewhere new or further afield. This is likely to increase the risk of habits like zooming in on the map, checking the next junction, or adjusting the route mid-journey if you get caught up in traffic.
“Even if you’re touching your phone for just a second, you’re still at risk of the associated penalties since it could compromise your safety.”
The motoring expert warns that, based on a standard speed-distance calculation, if your phone causes you to look away from the road for two seconds and you’re travelling at 70 miles per hour, you’ll be travelling blind for around 60 metres. That’s longer than the equivalent length of an Olympic-sized swimming pool or around 12 car lengths without your eyes on the road.
Not only does the interaction with your phone distract your eyes off the road, but your hands are also taken away from your car’s steering wheel or your motorcycle’s handlebars.
Alisdair said, “Particularly when riding a motorcycle, taking a hand away from your handlebars will unbalance you, and this affects your ability to react as quickly to your surroundings, steer, and even brake.”
He continues, clarifying that while avoiding phone use while on the road may seem obvious, there are many small actions to avoid that you may not even give a second thought to.
“Most people won’t think of unlocking their phone as ‘using it’ but if you tap your screen to turn it back on mid-journey, that’s still considered an interaction with a device while driving. A simple solution to avoid this is to adjust your phone’s screen timeout settings before you set off. This way, it’ll stay switched on and open for the duration of your journey.
“Also, it’s often assumed that tapping ‘accept’ on the phone screen when the phone is mounted correctly is legal because you’re not holding the device, however this could also lead to penalties. If you’re expecting calls, it’s a good idea to set your phone or vehicle up with voice-activation before your journey.”
Alisdair urges motorists to stick to one overarching rule when it comes to mounted phone use: “The most important thing to remember is that if you need to use your phone for any reason mid-journey, find a safe place to pull over before parking and turning your engine off to meet legal requirements. If it’s a navigation mishap, focus on driving on the road in front of you and don’t panic. You will automatically be rerouted so there’s no need to make any panicked decisions.”
He adds, “Ultimately, no notification, missed call or reroute is worth a hefty fine or points on your licence, so make your bank holiday a safe and risk-free one.”
