Mr King said he was “pleased” the loopholes surrounding phone use behind the wheel would be stopped. He claimed there was “no excuse” for using a phone while driving and revealed that the new rules would ”clarify the law”.
The AA President hopes the new rules would help drivers to understand how dangerous using devices behind the wheel could be.
Speaking after the announcement, Edmund King said: “There is no excuse for picking up a mobile phone when driving so we are pleased this loophole will be closed.
“Phones do so much more than calls and texts, so it is only right that the law is changed to keep pace with technology. Tweets, TikTok and Instagram snaps can all wait until you park up.
“These new rules will clarify the law and help drivers realise that this dangerous act can have the same consequences and be as socially unacceptable as drink driving.
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However, drivers will still be able to use hands-free functions such as navigation apps as long as they are safely secured.
Roads Minister Baroness Vere said offenders will face the “full force of the law” after escaping punishment for too long.
She said: “Our roads are some of the safest in the world, but we want to make sure they’re safer still by bringing the law into the 21st century.
“That’s why we’re looking to strengthen the law to make using a hand-held phone while driving illegal in a wider range of circumstances.
“It’s distracting and dangerous and for too long risky drivers have been able to escape punishment, but this update will mean those doing the wrong thing will face the full force of the law.”
The rule changes have been introduced after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced he would take forward plans to tighten the law last November.
The government suggested the rule could be changed as early as Spring 2020 but this has taken slightly longer.
The DfT has said that a driver could travel over 100 feet blind by just staring at their phone for two seconds while travelling 30 miles per hour.