Three times more drivers using phone at wheel

The number of motorists admitting they take phone calls and send text messages while driving has tripled in Britain, in a year, according to an RAC survey released yesterday.

As many as 39 per cent of drivers admit to being distracted by calls, texts and social media website alerts on their mobile phones while at the wheel.

Those saying they take calls while driving has risen from eight per cent to 28 per cent, while those admitting texting at the wheel has increased from 11 per cent to 31 per cent, the poll of 1,150 British motorists found.

The survey also showed that on an average car journey of 23 minutes, a motorist’s phone rings or beeps at least once.

Just over half (53 per cent) of motorists admit they are likely to take their eyes of the road to see who a call is from and 45 per cent admit they would look to see who a text is from.

Young drivers (17 to 24 year olds) are most likely to glance at a phone while driving if it rings or beeps, with 58 per cent saying they would.

As many as 21 per cent of motorists admit they are likely to check a social media alert from applications such as Facebook and Twitter while driving.

The top five social media sites and applications which motorists admitted using while on the road (stationary with the engine running or driving) are, in order: email, Google Maps, music, photos and Facebook.

Almost half (46 per cent) of all motorists who receive calls when they are driving claim not to be distracted by them, and 47 per cent believe texting on the road does not divert their attention from driving.

Many motorists think it is permissible to use mobile phones while driving when the car is not moving. Over a quarter (26 per cent) believe it is acceptable to use phones (for calling, texting and social media) at traffic lights, 33 per cent believe using a phone in a lay-by is permissible and nine per cent say using phones while stuck in traffic is reasonable.

RAC motoring strategist Adrian Tink said: “It’s extremely concerning that the use of mobile phones for texting and calling has risen in the past year. It is also worrying that people are admitting to using their phone for a whole host of social media applications while driving.

“Taking your eye off the road, just for a second, to read an alert or check who a call came from can have potentially fatal results. 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.”