- Hundreds of new drivers having licences revoked for mobile phone use every year
- Figure has doubled in two years
- Licence taken away if new driver gets six points or more within two year probationary period
- Zero tolerance approach to mobile phone use from Department for Transport
The number of new drivers who’ve had licences revoked for mobile phone use has DOUBLED in two years, a new study has revealed.
Drivers who amass six or more penalty points within a two year probationary period after first passing their test automatically have their licences taken away.
They then need to apply for a new provisional licence at the end of their disqualification period before having to pass theory and practical driving tests all over again.
Now new stats revealed by Select Car Leasing reveal a huge increase in the number of fledgling motorists having their licences torn-up - with mobile phone use behind the wheel the root cause.
Select Car Leasing issued a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA to understand the number of prosecutions for so-called ‘CU80’ offences - which specifically relate to holding a phone, sat nav, tablet or other connected device while driving.
The number of new drivers banned from the road following a mobile phone infringement - which pushed them to six or more penalty points within their two year probationary period - rocketed from 591 in 2022 to 1,046 in 2023.
In 2024 so far, 918 new drivers have had their licences revoked after a CU80 mobile phone offence.
Overall, there were 39,515 licence endorsements for both new and old motorists for CU80 prosecutions in 2023 - a large jump from the 34,062 endorsements in 2022.
Mark Tongue, Joint CEO and Co-Founder of Select Car Leasing, has urged motorists to turn off phones and to switch on to the dangers.
He said: “Mobile phones are a ubiquitous part of modern life but all drivers, whether new or experienced, need to understand the dangers of becoming distracted while staring at a screen and not the road ahead.
“The stats we’ve uncovered via a FOI show that the system is working to remove new drivers from the road who clearly haven’t learned about the risks associated with mobile phone use behind the wheel while they were studying for their tests.
“But the huge increase in mobile phone use prosecutions we’ve seen amongst new drivers is hugely concerning and, quite frankly, frightening. It’s vital we find ways to hammer-home the message about what the law says regarding mobile phone use.”
In March 2022, the laws around mobile phone use behind the wheel became much stricter as the Department for Transport declared a ‘zero tolerance’ approach. It became illegal to use a handheld mobile phone while driving under virtually any circumstance.
The legal scope for ‘using’ a mobile phone was also expanded to include illuminating the screen, checking notifications, or even unlocking the device.
The offence carries a minimum penalty of a £200 fine and six penalty points - which means that for new drivers who have held a licence for less than two years, a single offence would lead to their licence being revoked.
Outside London, which topped the list of locations for overall mobile phone use prosecutions between 2022 and 2024, West Yorkshire appears to be a problem hotspot.
Bradford, runner up in the list of shame with 1,546 endorsements, was closely followed by Leeds with 1,320 prosecutions over the same time period.
Meanwhile the age of those with CU80 licence endorsements peaks at 34-years-old, with 3,556 prosecutions in that age category, before declining as drivers get older.
Select Car Leasing does, however, point out that a handful of drivers in their 90s have had licences endorsed for mobile phone use - with one motorist aged 98-years-old being hit with a fine and points.
Mr Tongue adds: “There were also 36 licence endorsements for drivers aged 14, 15 and 16 years old - before they’re even old enough to attempt to pass their test!”
Total number of GB licence holders who have had their licence revoked under the New Driver Act for having a CU80 endorsement added to their driving licence record (from 2022 to 27 October 2024):
- 2022 - 591
- 2023 - 1,046
- 2024 (so far) - 918
Worst offending locations where drivers have had CU80 endorsements added to a licence (from 1 January 2022 and up to and including 27 October 2024):
- London - 10,125
- Bradford - 1,546
- Leeds - 1,320
- Birmingham - 1,257
- Glasgow - 1,217
- Norwich - 1,129
- Bristol - 1,040
- Leicester - 930
- Sheffield - 845
- Nottingham - 736
- Manchester - 730
- Ilford - 626
- Liverpool - 620
- Northampton - 619
- Stoke-on-Trent - 618
- Ipswich - 604
- Slough - 583
- Lincoln - 571
- Southampton - 542
- Romford - 539
CU80 licence endorsements broken down by age:
Age Number of endorsements
- 14-16 - 36
- 17-20 - 2,381
- 21-30 -23,065
- 31-40 - 32,363
- 41-50 - 20,097
- 51-60 - 12,459
- 61-70 - 4,475
- 71-80 - 875
- 81-90 - 84
- 91-100 - 3
Number of CU80 Endorsements overall, for all ages:
- 2022 - 34,062
- 2023 - 39,515
- 2024 (so far) - 22,264
*The DVLA classifies a ‘CU80 offence’ as a 'breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle, such as using a mobile phone’. The conviction stays on the driver's licence for four years.
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