You could be fined £5,000 and lose your licence if your passenger shows you Google Maps when driving

MOTORISTS could be slapped with a hefty fine if they’re distracted by someone else’s phone when driving. Brits can even lose their licence for checking a friend’s mobile for directions when behind the wheel. Many drivers will often be tempted to gaze at their passenger’s screen to check Google Maps or help choose a song […]

MOTORISTS could be slapped with a hefty fine if they’re distracted by someone else’s phone when driving.

Brits can even lose their licence for checking a friend’s mobile for directions when behind the wheel.

Many drivers will often be tempted to gaze at their passenger’s screen to check Google Maps or help choose a song while stuck in traffic, as they’re technically not using a hand-held device.

But as their attention is off the road, they can still find themselves in hot water with police.

While there isn’t a specific offence for looking at someone else’s phone, it’s considered driving without due care and attention.

Careless driving is defined as behaving in a manner that falls below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver.

And if you’re spotted by police gazing at someone else’s mobile, you could be handed a £100 on-the-spot fine.

But depending on the severity of the incident, you could be hit with a maximum £5,000 fine, nine points on your licence and even be disqualified from driving.

Drivers can also be hit with a £200 fine and six penalty points for using their phone while supervising a learner driver.

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “It doesn’t matter who the phone belongs to: if you choose to pick it up you will be breaking the hand-held phone law and be facing a fine of £200 and six points for using a hand-held phone.

“If you lean over or otherwise take your eyes off the road to look at any mobile phone and it affects your driving, then you could also be facing a charge of careless or even dangerous driving depending on how big the impact has been.

“If you ever go to court for such an offence a judge or magistrate would see the involvement of a smartphone as an aggravating factor and could increase any fine or sentence.

“The rules for driving instructors and if you are supervising a learner are different however, as you are legally in charge of the vehicle even though you may be in the passenger seat.

“This means that no-one in charge of a learner can use their hand-held phone (or equally have been drinking or on drugs.”