Irish people’s addiction to their mobile phones has reached new levels. Some 24,000 motorists were caught using mobile phones last year, an 11 per cent rise on 2024. And this is just scratching the surface of the scale of mobile use by drivers, as to be summonsed the motorist must be caught in the act. In our cars, as everywhere else, distraction from a mobile phone is all too easy. Despite all this, public attitudes quietly accept drivers glancing at their mobiles, enforcement remains sporadic and penalties too low.

Source: The Irish Times February 24, 2026 18:21 UTC