The law was strengthened in 2022 to prohibit virtually any use of a hand-held mobile phone while driving, including browsing the web and taking photos or videos. The police are responsible for enforcing road traffic law, supported by targeted road safety campaigns aimed at young drivers.

To support the 2022 changes to the law, the Department ran a targeted THINK! campaign on the dangers of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving, aimed at drivers aged 17 to 24.

The THINK! ‘Put your phone away’ radio advert also currently runs throughout the year and warns motorists of the risks of looking at your phone while driving.

The Department is aware of IAM RoadSmart’s research. Its findings reinforce the importance of existing action to tackle driver distraction, particularly among young and novice drivers.

All drivers have a responsibility to drive in a safe and legal manner and it is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving, including to take photographs or record videos.

The Government’s Road Safety Strategy included measures focused on young drivers and motoring offences, and the Department will continue to consider research and data as these measures are implemented.

The Government’s motoring offences consultation, launched in January 2026, sought views on current penalties including whether alcohol ignition locks (alcolock) should be used as part of a drink drive rehabilitation process. We are currently analysing the responses and will then announce next steps.

Sentencing is a matter for the independent courts who will look at each case individually, including whether to disqualify an offender.

THINK! delivers campaigns to change attitudes and behaviours among those at most risk, primarily men aged 17-24 who are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than other drivers.

THINK! communications activity addresses mobile phone use, including a radio advert asking drivers to ‘Put your phone away’ runs throughout the year.

In 2022, the Government’s THINK! campaign ran a national paid media campaign on the dangers of using handheld phones while driving, timed with new laws that criminalised almost all phone use at the wheel. The campaign targeted 17–24-year-olds who were identified as high-risk for this behaviour. Mobile phone campaigns also ran in 2017 and 2018 after the 2017 increase in penalties for driving while using a handheld phone.

The Ministry of Justice publishes quarterly data on appeals against magistrates’ court decisions heard in the Crown Court in the Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly release which can be downloaded from the Criminal Court Statistics landing page here: Criminal court statistics - GOV.UK. Table C11 provides details of appeals heard at the Crown Court.

However, data is not centrally recorded on the specific grounds of appeal, including whether an appeal relates to the rejection of an exceptional hardship argument in proceedings concerning drivers liable to disqualification under the totting-up provisions.

This information may be contained within individual court records. However, identifying and reviewing relevant cases would require a manual examination of those records and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

The Department has no plans to incorporate the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence qualification into either the driving licence or the driver tachograph card.

The Department has recently consulted on possible reforms to strengthen enforcement against drink and drug driving, including temporary licence suspension-type measures for suspected offenders before a case is concluded. The consultation has now closed and responses are being analysed.

Existing legislation already provides for courts to impose disqualification in appropriate cases, including as part of sentence. It also provides for interim disqualification in specified circumstances after conviction where an offence involving obligatory or discretionary disqualification has not yet been finally dealt with. Sentencing and disqualification decisions in individual cases are matters for the independent courts.

For drug-driving offences, the current evidential framework relies on blood analysis for specified-limit offences. The Department has also consulted on possible future changes to drink and drug-driving enforcement and has supported exploratory work on roadside evidential drug-testing capability, including the Mobile Evidential Drug Testing Instrument (MEDTI) Demonstrator. Any change to evidential testing arrangements would require further scientific, legal and operational consideration.

New debt recovery powers agreed by Parliament in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 are designed to increase fairness and to more effectively and efficiently be able to recover debt from individuals who are not in receipt of benefit or in suitable PAYE employment.

These powers will encourage voluntary repayment as well as ensuring that there is recourse for those who have the means to repay but do not.

Use of these Debt Recovery powers is governed by the published DWP Direct Deduction and Disqualification from Driving Orders Code of Practice, which sets out the strict safeguards that must be followed before any enforcement action is taken.

All DWP debt recovery activity, including through Direct Deduction Order’s or Driving Disqualification only take place once an overpayment decision has been made and communicated to the customer. This communication includes information on mandatory reconsideration and appeal rights.

New debt recovery powers agreed by Parliament in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 are designed to increase fairness and to more effectively and efficiently be able to recover debt from individuals who are not in receipt of benefit or in suitable PAYE employment.

These powers will encourage voluntary repayment as well as ensuring that there is recourse for those who have the means to repay but do not.

Use of these Debt Recovery powers is governed by the published DWP Direct Deduction and Disqualification from Driving Orders Code of Practice, which sets out the strict safeguards that must be followed before any enforcement action is taken.

All DWP debt recovery activity, including through Direct Deduction Order’s or Driving Disqualification only take place once an overpayment decision has been made and communicated to the customer. This communication includes information on mandatory reconsideration and appeal rights.

New debt recovery powers agreed by Parliament in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act are designed to increase fairness and to more effectively and efficiently be able to recover debt from individuals who are not in receipt of benefit or suitable PAYE employment.

These powers will encourage voluntary repayment of debt owed to DWP from those no longer in receipt of benefit or in suitable PAYE employment, as well as ensuring that there is recourse for those who have the means to repay but do not.

In the most serious cases, and where the outstanding debt balance is at least £1000, the Debt Recovery Measure allows DWP to apply to the Magistrates court for consideration of a Disqualification from Driving Order. These powers will be used as a last resort where all other attempts to secure repayment, including recovery directly from a bank account have not been possible. A court cannot grant a disqualification order where the individual has an essential need to drive, and initially any disqualification will be suspended providing the individual maintains the repayment terms set by the court. As part of the passage of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act, detailed Impact Assessments were published and are available online here: Impact assessment published online. The Impact Assessment contains our estimate of the scale of our debtors and debt stock as well as the cost of implementing the measures along with potential savings.

We expect to publish data relating to these measures through our usual routeways for example our Annual Report and Accounts

New debt recovery powers agreed by Parliament in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act are designed to increase fairness and to more effectively and efficiently be able to recover debt from individuals who are not in receipt of benefit or suitable PAYE employment.

These powers will encourage voluntary repayment of debt owed to DWP from those no longer in receipt of benefit or in suitable PAYE employment, as well as ensuring that there is recourse for those who have the means to repay but do not.

In the most serious cases, and where the outstanding debt balance is at least £1000, the Debt Recovery Measure allows DWP to apply to the Magistrates court for consideration of a Disqualification from Driving Order. These powers will be used as a last resort where all other attempts to secure repayment, including recovery directly from a bank account have not been possible. A court cannot grant a disqualification order where the individual has an essential need to drive, and initially any disqualification will be suspended providing the individual maintains the repayment terms set by the court. As part of the passage of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act, detailed Impact Assessments were published and are available online here: Impact assessment published online. The Impact Assessment contains our estimate of the scale of our debtors and debt stock as well as the cost of implementing the measures along with potential savings.

We expect to publish data relating to these measures through our usual routeways for example our Annual Report and Accounts

New debt recovery powers agreed by Parliament in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act are designed to increase fairness and to more effectively and efficiently be able to recover debt from individuals who are not in receipt of benefit or suitable PAYE employment.

These powers will encourage voluntary repayment of debt owed to DWP from those no longer in receipt of benefit or in suitable PAYE employment, as well as ensuring that there is recourse for those who have the means to repay but do not.

In the most serious cases, and where the outstanding debt balance is at least £1000, the Debt Recovery Measure allows DWP to apply to the Magistrates court for consideration of a Disqualification from Driving Order. These powers will be used as a last resort where all other attempts to secure repayment, including recovery directly from a bank account have not been possible. A court cannot grant a disqualification order where the individual has an essential need to drive, and initially any disqualification will be suspended providing the individual maintains the repayment terms set by the court. As part of the passage of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act, detailed Impact Assessments were published and are available online here: Impact assessment published online. The Impact Assessment contains our estimate of the scale of our debtors and debt stock as well as the cost of implementing the measures along with potential savings.

We expect to publish data relating to these measures through our usual routeways for example our Annual Report and Accounts

New debt recovery powers agreed by Parliament in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act are designed to increase fairness and to more effectively and efficiently be able to recover debt from individuals who are not in receipt of benefit or suitable PAYE employment.

These powers will encourage voluntary repayment of debt owed to DWP from those no longer in receipt of benefit or in suitable PAYE employment, as well as ensuring that there is recourse for those who have the means to repay but do not.

In the most serious cases, and where the outstanding debt balance is at least £1000, the Debt Recovery Measure allows DWP to apply to the Magistrates court for consideration of a Disqualification from Driving Order. These powers will be used as a last resort where all other attempts to secure repayment, including recovery directly from a bank account have not been possible. A court cannot grant a disqualification order where the individual has an essential need to drive, and initially any disqualification will be suspended providing the individual maintains the repayment terms set by the court. As part of the passage of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act, detailed Impact Assessments were published and are available online here: Impact assessment published online. The Impact Assessment contains our estimate of the scale of our debtors and debt stock as well as the cost of implementing the measures along with potential savings.

We expect to publish data relating to these measures through our usual routeways for example our Annual Report and Accounts

New debt recovery powers agreed by Parliament in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act are designed to increase fairness and to more effectively and efficiently be able to recover debt from individuals who are not in receipt of benefit or suitable PAYE employment.

These powers will encourage voluntary repayment of debt owed to DWP from those no longer in receipt of benefit or in suitable PAYE employment, as well as ensuring that there is recourse for those who have the means to repay but do not.

In the most serious cases, and where the outstanding debt balance is at least £1000, the Debt Recovery Measure allows DWP to apply to the Magistrates court for consideration of a Disqualification from Driving Order. These powers will be used as a last resort where all other attempts to secure repayment, including recovery directly from a bank account have not been possible. A court cannot grant a disqualification order where the individual has an essential need to drive, and initially any disqualification will be suspended providing the individual maintains the repayment terms set by the court. As part of the passage of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act, detailed Impact Assessments were published and are available online here: Impact assessment published online. The Impact Assessment contains our estimate of the scale of our debtors and debt stock as well as the cost of implementing the measures along with potential savings.

We expect to publish data relating to these measures through our usual routeways for example our Annual Report and Accounts

New debt recovery powers agreed by Parliament in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act are designed to increase fairness and to more effectively and efficiently be able to recover debt from individuals who are not in receipt of benefit or suitable PAYE employment.

These powers will encourage voluntary repayment of debt owed to DWP from those no longer in receipt of benefit or in suitable PAYE employment, as well as ensuring that there is recourse for those who have the means to repay but do not.

In the most serious cases, and where the outstanding debt balance is at least £1000, the Debt Recovery Measure allows DWP to apply to the Magistrates court for consideration of a Disqualification from Driving Order. These powers will be used as a last resort where all other attempts to secure repayment, including recovery directly from a bank account have not been possible. A court cannot grant a disqualification order where the individual has an essential need to drive, and initially any disqualification will be suspended providing the individual maintains the repayment terms set by the court. As part of the passage of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act, detailed Impact Assessments were published and are available online here: Impact assessment published online. The Impact Assessment contains our estimate of the scale of our debtors and debt stock as well as the cost of implementing the measures along with potential savings.

We expect to publish data relating to these measures through our usual routeways for example our Annual Report and Accounts

New debt recovery powers agreed by Parliament in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act are designed to increase fairness and to more effectively and efficiently be able to recover debt from individuals who are not in receipt of benefit or suitable PAYE employment.

These powers will encourage voluntary repayment of debt owed to DWP from those no longer in receipt of benefit or in suitable PAYE employment, as well as ensuring that there is recourse for those who have the means to repay but do not.

In the most serious cases, and where the outstanding debt balance is at least £1000, the Debt Recovery Measure allows DWP to apply to the Magistrates court for consideration of a Disqualification from Driving Order. These powers will be used as a last resort where all other attempts to secure repayment, including recovery directly from a bank account have not been possible. A court cannot grant a disqualification order where the individual has an essential need to drive, and initially any disqualification will be suspended providing the individual maintains the repayment terms set by the court. As part of the passage of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act, detailed Impact Assessments were published and are available online here: Impact assessment published online. The Impact Assessment contains our estimate of the scale of our debtors and debt stock as well as the cost of implementing the measures along with potential savings.

We expect to publish data relating to these measures through our usual routeways for example our Annual Report and Accounts