More than 109,000 offences involving drivers using handheld mobile phones or devices have been recorded since the start of 2023, according to Freedom of Information data from 30 UK police forces.
The data, obtained by Marshall Motor Group, shows that 92,333 offences were recorded between 2023 and 2025—equivalent to one offence approximately every 17 minutes. A further 17,243 offences were recorded between January and July 2026.
Greater Manchester records highest total
Annual totals for the three full years were 30,142 offences in 2023, 32,172 in 2024 and 30,019 in 2025.
Greater Manchester Police recorded the highest combined total between 2023 and 2025, with 11,994 offences. Kent Police recorded 7,541, followed by Essex Police with 6,013, Merseyside Police with 5,466 and West Midlands Police with 5,278.
The latest 2026 figures also put Greater Manchester at the top, with 2,264 offences. West Midlands Police recorded 1,321, Essex Police 1,194, Thames Valley Police 1,041 and Surrey Police 1,000.
Police observations and public submissions
Forces included direct observation and roadside stops, footage submitted by members of the public through schemes such as Operation Snap, and camera or mobile enforcement technology among the detection methods used.
Greater Manchester Police recorded 3,668 officer-witnessed offences and 259 third-party submissions in 2025. Dorset recorded 402 offences issued by officers and 154 through Operation Snap, while Gloucestershire Constabulary recorded 174 detections following traffic stops, 77 through Operation Snap and 48 by camera officers.
The research also identified roads where larger numbers of offences were recorded. Greater Manchester Police recorded 388 offences on the A56 Bury New Road between 2023 and the latest 2026 data supplied.
In Lincolnshire, the A1 recorded the highest number of offences in each of the three full years analysed, with 60 in 2023, 95 in 2024 and 70 in 2025. Merseyside Police recorded 739 offences during a specific operation targeting drivers using phones on the M6 southbound between junctions 23 and 22 in 2024.
Ben Welham, motoring expert at Marshall Motor Group, said: “Using a handheld phone while driving can take a driver’s attention away from what’s happening around them, even if they only look at it for a few seconds.
“The safest approach is to put your phone away before setting off and avoid anything that could tempt you to pick it up while driving. If you need to make a call, send a message or change something on your phone, wait until you are safely parked.”