29 Jun Essex Police hands out almost £1m in fines for mobile phone offences – in just over two years
Essex Police have dished out nearly a million pounds in fines to drivers using their phones while driving since 2023.
By the middle of May this year, the force had already issued 514 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to people caught using devices on the road.
An investigation by personal injury claim experts Accident Claims Advice found that this follows on from 1,864 fines received by Essex drivers in 2024. Even that huge figure is dwarfed by the whopping 2,216 offences seen by the police in 2023.
That means that 4,594 FPNs, or a massive £918,800 worth of fines, were sent to Essex drivers for mobile phone offences.
Out of 30 police forces who responded to Accident Claims Advice’s request for information in time, only two–the Met Police and West Yorkshire Police–issued more fines.
A law against making mobile phone calls or sending messages while driving in Great Britain has been in place since 2003.
However, three years ago, the law became stricter, meaning that any use of a handheld device would trigger an offence, resulting in a £200 fine and six penalty points on your licence.
Essex Police also confirmed that 25 road traffic accidents that caused injury between 2023 and 2024 had mobile phone use as a contributory factor. One such collision was fatal, while eight caused serious harm to at least one person and another 16 led to ‘slight’ injuries.
What’s more, the force also disclosed 16 cases where fines were issued to the supervisor of a provisional driver – which, it confirmed, is still considered an offence because they assume responsibility for the learner driver.
Accident Claims Advice solicitor Michael Higgins said: “The number of mobile phone driving offences is extremely worrying – especially given the potentially devastating consequences of someone not paying full attention when operating a vehicle.
“A road traffic accident caused by someone looking at their phone while driving could turn a person’s life upside down in a split second.
“It’s important that they know that legal support is available to them if they want to seek compensation for the harm they suffered.”
Accident Claims Advice is a support service that offers guidance on personal injury compensation claims, including legal action for people injured in road traffic accidents.
It connects potential claimants with expert personal injury solicitors and operates a free 24/7 support line on 0800 6524 881.
