More than 5,000 drivers have been caught using mobile phones behind the wheel in the West Midlands through two different enforcement methods, new data reveals.
West Midlands Police recorded 5,278 offences across a three-year period between 2023 and 2025, according to Freedom of Information request data obtained by Marshall Motor Group.
Of those, 3,440 – around 65 per cent – were logged under the force’s camera or automated technology category.
Annual offence numbers rise and plateau
Annual offences rose from 1,442 in 2023 to 1,929 in 2024, before remaining at a similar level in 2025 with 1,907 offences. The partial year statistics to date for 2026 stand at 1,321.
Drivers can receive six penalty points and a £200 fine for using a handheld phone while driving.
- 2023: 1,442
- 2024: 1,929
- 2025: 1,907
- 2026: 1,321 (year to date)
Expert warns of distraction dangers
Ben Welham, a motoring expert at Marshall Motor Group, said: “Using a mobile phone behind the wheel can be extremely distracting, and these figures show the scale of offending on roads across the West Midlands.
“Drivers can receive six penalty points and a £200 fine for using a handheld phone while driving, but the consequences can be far more serious if a moment of distraction leads to a collision.
“If you need to check a message, change your route or do anything else that requires using your phone, the safest option is always to wait until you can pull over somewhere safe and legal.”
Part of wider UK research
The figures form part of wider research by Marshall Motor Group into mobile phone driving offences across the UK. The data covers two enforcement methods: camera or automated technology, which accounted for the majority of offences, and other methods used by officers on patrol.
