Drivers face £200 fine for changing music in car under new law

19 November 2021, 07:41 | Updated: 5 October 2022, 12:05

UK drivers could face a hefty fine and six points on their license under a new law change.

The Department for Transport is cracking down on drivers under a strict new law coming into force next year.

The rules mean that motorists caught scrolling through music or looking at their social media will face a £200 fine and six points on their license.

Under current UK laws, drivers must not text or make phone calls on a handheld device while driving, except in an emergency.

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But in a bid to make it easier to prosecute dangerous drivers, from 2022 you will no longer be allowed to scroll through songs, take photos, videos, play games or look at social media.

Motorists will still be allowed to use sat navs, hands-free calling and phone navigation apps as long as they are secured in a phone holder.

The Highway Code is also being updated to clarify that being stationary in traffic or at lights also counts as driving and therefore handheld mobile phones are banned.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "By making it easier to prosecute people illegally using their phone at the wheel, we are ensuring the law is brought into the 21st Century while further protecting all road users.

"While our roads remain among the safest in the world, we will continue working tirelessly to make them safer, including through our award-winning THINK! campaign, which challenges social norms among high-risk drivers."

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams also backs the new law, stating: "As our phones have become more sophisticated, the law has not kept pace and this has allowed some drivers who have been using their handheld phones for purposes other than communicating to exploit a loophole and avoid the maximum penalty.

"While today's announcement is clearly good news, it's absolutely vital that the new law is vigorously enforced otherwise there's a risk that it won't deliver the sort of behaviour change that will make our roads safer."