Phones and sat navs while driving: PHV driver rules

A private hire driver lives on a phone: booking alerts, maps, messages from the operator. That makes device rules the daily legal risk. The handbook covers two separate points. One is whether you may use a hand-held device while driving. The other is where a device may be mounted. This guide treats them in turn and adds what GOV.UK says on the law.

Hand-held use

Section 7 says it is illegal to use a hand-held phone or similar device when you are driving, unless you are calling the emergency services in an emergency and it is unsafe or impractical to stop. It specifies that this includes when you are stopped in a queue of traffic, for example at traffic lights or in delays. Many drivers believe a red light is a pause. The handbook says it is not.

It adds a general rule for calls. If you do need to answer or make one, you should stop safely, park your vehicle and turn the engine off. It also says distractions such as mobile phones, other electronic devices, music or passengers make you less aware of the road and reduce your decision-making ability.

What GOV.UK adds

We read GOV.UK's page on mobile phones and driving on 2 October 2026. It says it is illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet or similar device while driving, whether online or offline, and the ban covers texting, calling, photos, video and browsing. It confirms that the ban applies when stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic. It says hands-free use is allowed through a headset, voice commands, a dashboard or windscreen mount, or integrated navigation, provided the device does not block your view of the road and traffic ahead. Penalties include fines and penalty points. GOV.UK states the amounts, which change, so read the page rather than rely on a figure here.

Where the device sits

The handbook's "clear sight" advice refers to Annex 6 of the Highway Code: windscreens and windows must be kept clean and free from obstructions to vision. That means not fixing anything to your windscreen that stops you seeing the road ahead, including mobile phones and sat navs. The handbook's practical rule is sharp:

• If you place a cradled device on the area covered by your windscreen wipers, known as the swept area, you commit an offence.
• If prosecuted, you may be fined and get penalty points.

Before any journey, check that you have a clear view through the windscreen and windows and that no device or signage reduces it. The handbook says driving conditions can change quickly, so you need a clear view of the road. The glossary defines a cradle as something that holds a phone or GPS device in place so you can use it hands-free.

Work devices and operator apps

The handbook does not discuss operator apps. Whatever your app allows, the law on hand-held use applies to you. Set the device up before you move: accept the job, check the route and the passenger name while parked legally. Our guide on booking details shows what to check before you set off. If you must tell your operator about a change, stop safely first, as the handbook says in its fares guidance. See fares and receipts.

Parking to use the phone

Stopping to use a phone must follow the stopping rules too. A legal spot matters. Read red routes and driving and parking rules so you do not trade a phone offence for a parking one.

A simple set-up

1. Mount any device below the swept area, where it does not reduce your view.
2. Enter the destination before you move.
3. Use voice or hands-free tools only in ways the law allows and that do not distract you.
4. Silence notifications you do not need.
5. Pull over and park to read or send anything.

Consequences for your licence

The handbook says failure to obey the traffic laws it lists may bring a fixed penalty notice or prosecution, which can mean a fine and penalty points, a possible driving ban, and the possible loss of your PHV driver's licence. Penalty points from a road traffic offence must be reported to TfL immediately. See what you must tell TfL.

What this guide cannot tell you

We do not state current penalty amounts, and the handbook does not either. It also does not describe the exact boundaries of the swept area beyond showing a picture, so use your own windscreen and the wipers' reach as a guide. For the full safe-driving picture, see safer driving.

Where this comes from

Handbook section 7 (Concentration; Windscreen vision; Following traffic laws), plus the glossary. GOV.UK page on mobile phones and driving, read on 2 October 2026.