Drivers caught scrolling on Facebook whilst in a car could be fined £200 or face six points on the licence.
The Government has confirmed the new change in the law, after 'too many deaths and injuries due to phone-related incidents.
Amending a previous loophole, an amendment has now been made to the law, making it illegal to even touch your phone - be it to change music, check the time, or scroll Facebook, reports BirminghamLive.
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Jason Wakeford, head of campaigns at Brake, the road safety campaign, said: "Using your mobile phone at the wheel makes your reactions even slower than if you were drink driving, so it’s vital that we all give the road our full attention. "The temptation of using a phone can never be worth someone’s life.”
Edmund King, AA president, added: "By making mobile phone use as socially unacceptable as drink driving, we are taking big steps to make our roads safer.
"To help ensure drivers get the message, we also need more cops in cars to help catch and deter those still tempted to pick up."
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "Too many deaths and injuries occur whilst mobile phones are being held.
"By making it easier to prosecute people illegally using their phone at the wheel, we are ensuring the law is brought into the 21st Century while further protecting all road users.
"While our roads remain among the safest in the world, we will continue working tirelessly to make them safer, including through our award-winning THINK! campaign, which challenges social norms among high-risk drivers."
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