Bedfordshire Police stats reveal lethal cost of using mobile phones while driving

The force was called to two fatal collisions last year that were caused by drivers looking at their phones.

New data collected by personal injury claim experts Accident Claims Advice shows that a pair of incidents between April 2024 and March 2025 were fatal, while another 11 involved at least one person suffering injuries.

There were more than 280 people handed a £200 fixed penalty or were taken to court.

And there were five collisions causing ‘slight’ injury and six leading to ‘serious’ harm across the county. In the 12 months beforehand, Bedfordshire Police saw slight injuries in 15 more incidents, plus another two serious cases – making it 30 harmful collisions caused by phone use in just two years.

In total, there were 352 recorded offences involving a person using a handheld mobile device while using the road.

A law against making mobile phone calls or sending messages while driving in Great Britain has been in place since 2003.

The law became stricter three years ago, meaning that any use of a handheld device would trigger an offence, resulting in a £200 fine and six penalty points on your licence.

It means that Bedfordshire drivers committed over £70,400 worth of offences between April 2023 and March 2025.

Bedfordshire Police confirmed that 164 people had paid the fine, while another 123 were taken to court, where the penalty can rise to £1,000.

In that time, 25 people completed a retraining course after being caught out by police and another 18 investigations are ongoing.

Sergeant Chris Payne from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Commercial Vehicle Unit said: “We see the devastating consequences taking your eyes off the road has but unfortunately, people still use their phones whilst behind the wheel."

He added: “It’s a simple message – do not use your phone whilst driving. Put your phone away before setting off on your journey, in the glove compartment or the boot. That way you will not be tempted to use it at the wheel.”