Nearly 1 in 10 admit to taking selfies at the wheel

Ever thought the internet would be a better place with a photo of you behind the wheel of your car?

According to research by insurance experts Confused.com, 7% of motorists have taken a ‘selfie’ when driving. And, 9% of 18-24 year olds have used photo messaging app Snapchat, compared to 8% who have tweeted and 5% who’ve accessed Instagram.

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Since Instagram was launched in 2010, a shocking 10,000 photos have been tagged with #DrivingSelfie or #DrivingSelfies, often combined with #LuckyWeDidntCrash, #safedriver and #LookMaNoHands.

Road safety charities have hit out at the latest trend, with a Brake spokesperson saying:

“This is a case of selfie selfishness. Using a phone in any way at the wheel dramatically increases the risk of crashing and killing or seriously injuring someone.

“It is very worrying to see the numbers of drivers engaging in this dangerous behaviour, particularly younger drivers who are already at higher risk of crashing due to their age and inexperience.”

The research, which surveyed 2,000 drivers, found that more than a third admit to using their mobile while driving, and nearly 9% have been involved in an accident when on the phone.

Despite this, fewer than one in ten say they’ve been caught by police for using their phone behind the wheel, and over half of those that have been caught continue to use their mobiles while driving.

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By motoringresearch.com