Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to publicise the changes in the law on driving while using a mobile phone which commence on the 25 March; and in particular the law that drivers must not use a handheld phone when they are stationary in a traffic queue.

The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No 2) Regulations 2022 will broaden the offence of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving to cover offline use of phones as well as the interactive communication functions covered now. The Government plans to accompany the law change with a THINK! campaign to remind drivers not to use a hand-held phone at the wheel and to highlight the penalties of choosing to ignore this new law.

Nothing in the new Regulations alters the position on what constitutes driving; it has been, and will remain, an offence to use a hand-held mobile phone while stationary in traffic. However, the Government is taking this opportunity to amend Rule 149 of The Highway Code to emphasise this fact.