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Social media ‘selfies’ pose a new danger for road users

20th March 2014 Print

Worrying numbers of motorists are taking photos when behind the wheel and then sharing them via social networking sites, according to new research from Confused.com.
 
The findings from the leading price comparison website reveal that nearly one in 14 motorists (7%) admit to having taken a photograph whilst being in control of a vehicle. One in 20 motorists (4%) also claim to use the social media app of the moment – Snapchat – to send photos to friends whilst driving.
 
Young drivers are the worst culprits for these selfish selfies, with nearly one in 10 (9%) of 18-24 year olds claiming to use Snapchat to take photos behind the wheel. This age group are also the most likely to be driven to distraction by accessing photo sharing sites such as Twitter (8%), Pinterest (5%) and Instagram (5%) when in charge of a vehicle.
 
It would seem that hashtags such as #drivingselfie and #drivingselfies are prompting social media users to take photos of themselves and post them online when behind the wheel. Research undertaken by Confused.com can reveal that in the last 30 days, 287 tweets were tagged with #drivingselfie and #drivingselfies combined.
 
More than a third of motorists (36%) admit to using their mobile phone when driving, with the majority using their phones to make or answer calls (75%) and send or check texts (43%).
 
Other common mobile related activities which motorists admit to undertaking whilst on the road include using sat nav facilities (17%), checking Facebook (11%), flicking through music (7%) and reading emails (5%).
 
Despite the fact that so many motorists admit to flouting the law when it comes to using their phone behind the wheel, less than one in ten (8%) say they have actually been caught by Police for doing so.
 
In fact, according to FOI data obtained from Police Forces from across the UK, just 118,000 Fixed Penalty Notices were issued to motorists last year (2013) for using a hand-held phone behind the wheel. Worryingly, of those caught using their phone whilst driving by Police, more than half (57%) admit to continuing to use their phone behind the wheel after their brush with the law.
 
One in seven motorists (14%) believe that using a mobile phone when driving is justifiable in some circumstances, with almost a quarter (24%) believing that it is acceptable to use your phone behind the wheel to access a sat nav system or to connect to Bluetooth.
 
While some motorists may justify answering the phone if they are using a hand-free phone or Bluetooth headset, research has shown that it is the act of being engaged in a conversation rather than actually holding a device which causes the biggest distraction whilst driving.
 
Despite the fact that it is in fact legal to call the emergency services whilst driving, only 53% of motorists cite this as an acceptable situation for mobile phone use behind the wheel.
 
A third of motorists (33%) think that mobile phones should be disabled when the user is behind the wheel, with the USA leading the way when it comes to actually implementing technology that prevents motorists from accessing all text, email or internet functions when driving their vehicle.
 
With nearly one in ten motorists (9%) having had an accident as a result of using their mobile phone when driving, apps such as these to disable mobile phone usage behind the wheel will be a welcome development for road users.
 
Gemma Stanbury, head of car insurance at Confused.com comments: "With advances in technology and the rise in mobile phone applications available, motorists are being increasingly distracted whilst behind the wheel - especially as constantly updating and checking social media profiles has now become the norm.

“This steep rise in mobile phone usage at the wheel could potentially be set to continue as more and more people embrace smart phone technology. Smartphones are incredibly useful and convenient tools when used appropriately and responsibly, but behind the wheel is not an acceptable time for use. Our advice to motorists is to remove this temptation altogether by putting away all mobile technology before driving to ensure focus solely remains on the road ahead."
 
“Taking your eye off the road, just for a second, to read an alert or take a photo can have potentially fatal results. Also, if drivers are caught using their phone illegally behind the wheel they can face penalty points and fines of up to £1,000, as well as the possibility of increased car insurance premiums.”