Selfies Are the Newest Distractions for Drivers

The findings come from research commissioned this month exclusively by the IAM, which asked 500 drivers how they use their smartphones and tablets in the car. Results show that nine per cent of drivers admitted to taking a selfie while driving 'in the last month'.

The percentage increases to 15 when it comes to young drivers aged 18-24 and 19 per cent of 25-35 year olds. Women are less selfie obsessed than men, with just five per cent of women citing they have taken a selfie while driving compared to 12 per cent of men.

Eight per cent of drivers admitted to driving while using a video-calling application such as FaceTime and Skype to make and receive video calls, rising to 16 per cent among 18 to 24 year olds.

IAM's chief executive officer, Sarah Sillars said: "Everyone knows how dangerous using a smartphone or tablet is while driving. That's why it's shocking to see new trends like taking selfies and making video calls becoming common practice."

But there were some shocking findings besides people becoming selfie obsessed. Seven per cent of drivers admit to watching videos and stream catch-up television on the road, rising to 13 per cent of drivers aged 18-24 and 15 per cent of 25-32 year olds. Eighteen per cent of drivers have accessed the internet using their smartphone or tablet, rising to 27 per cent of drivers aged 18-24 and 34 per cent of drivers aged 25-34.

While statistics concerning distracted driving in India seem rather inaccessible, numbers from other parts of the world are equally alarming. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a US-based organisation, analysed about 1,700 videos in March, 2015. The report looked at the actions of drivers in the moments before a crash and found that distractions were a factor in nearly 6 of 10 moderate to severe crashes.

Researchers believe the role of distractions, notably talking with other passengers in the car and using mobile phones, in crashes is severely underestimated.

If such a study was to be done in India, it's very likely that the percentage is likely to climb two folds considering that we are so possessive about our phones and social networking profiles. It's time we understood how big the problem really is!