Thousands of elderly drivers have been caught breaking a major driving law with one motorist – aged 98 – at risk of hefty fines.
The elderly motorist was among three drivers in their 90s who received licence endorsements for phone-related offences, according to data obtained from the DVLA.
The discovery was made through a Freedom of Information request which recorded the number of drivers using a mobile phone while driving. If caught, drivers face a minimum £200 fine and six penalty points on their licence.
The research revealed that while the majority of licence endorsements were given to drivers in their 30s, with 32,363 prosecutions between January 2022 and October this year there was a sharp rise in elderly driver cases.
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Surprisingly, drivers in their 70s received 875 endorsements, while those in their 80s accounted for 84 cases but 4,475 endorsements were given to drivers aged 61-70.
Mark Tongue, Joint CEO and Co-Founder of Select Car Leasing, said: “Age is no barrier to being hit with a fine and points on your licence for being distracted by a mobile phone and all motorists, no matter how experienced they are, need to be aware of the dangers.
“It’s eye-opening to see such an elderly driver being collared by police after reaching for their phone, but perhaps not surprising given how technology has creeped into all aspects of our lives, no matter how old we might be. After all, age doesn’t always equate to wisdom!”
Drivers aged 21-30 were slapped with 23,065 endorsements, while drivers aged 41-50 accumulated 20,097 penalties.
Remarkably, 36 endorsements were issued to individuals aged 14-16 – before they were even old enough to take a driving test.
In March 2022, laws around mobile phone use while driving became significantly stricter, with the Department for Transport declaring a zero-tolerance approach.
It became illegal to use a handheld mobile phone while driving under virtually any circumstance, including simply illuminating the screen or checking notifications.
Current laws prohibit drivers from holding and using any device that can send or receive data while driving or riding a motorcycle.
The rules apply even when stopped at traffic lights, queuing in traffic, or supervising a learner driver.
Exceptions are only made for emergency 999 calls when it’s unsafe to stop, or when safely parked. Overall figures show a concerning trend, with CU80 endorsements rising from 34,062 in 2022 to 39,515 in 2023.
However, 2024 has seen 22,264 endorsements so far, potentially indicating a decline in offences.London emerged as the worst offending location, with 10,125 endorsements between January 2022 and October 2024.
Bradford followed with 1,546 cases, while Leeds recorded 1,320 endorsements.
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Elderly drivers have to renew their licence every three years once they reach 70 years of age
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Tongue added: “It’s encouraging to see a projected dip in mobile phone-related driver prosecutions this year, but it’s clear the message still needs ramming home about just how dangerous reaching for your device can be.”
