With the Bank Holiday fast approaching Police Chiefs have reminded drivers that the act of using your smartphone while driving will still carry the same penalty as if you were caught texting.
What’s important to note however is that while technically you can still use your phone as a satnav it is the act of physically touching your phone that will land you in hot water.
Thanks to new rules imposed by the government if you’re caught using your phone you could be given a £200 fine and six points on your licence.
For those who have only just passed their driving test the penalty is considerably more severe.
If you’re within just two years of passing the police can revoke your licence.
The crackdown has come amid figures which show a soaring rise in the number of people who use their smartphones while driving.
This can range from writing messages, using the phone as a satnav and even taking selfies behind the wheel.
Just to be sure that the messaging was clear over a weekend when many people will be taking to the roads a spokesperson from the National Police Chiefs Council said: ‘If an officer determines that a driver using their satnav hindered their ability to control the car, the driver could face prosecution.’