The RAC Calls For Action On Dangerous Car “Selfie” Images

The RAC has said that laws against the use of mobile phones while driving are "not working" after a after a survey revealed that a worrying proportion of drivers are flouting them, with some even going as far as to take “selfies” while behind the wheel.

The organisation has reportedly called for a "united campaign" with the aim of making driving while using a mobile phone as socially unacceptable as drink driving. Both Selfies and alcohol cause dramatic drops in reaction times and have been cited as the cause of large numbers of road traffic accidents on the UK’s roads.

The results of the survey, which was produced by Confused.com, show that large numbers of drivers are ignoring laws about driving while using a mobile phone, the fine for which rose last year from £60 to £100.

“Taking a ‘selfie’ on your phone, talking or, for that matter texting, at the wheel of a vehicle is adding a massive physical distraction and impediment to being fully in control of your vehicle which is why it is illegal to do so,” says Pete Williams of the RAC.

“Our own research has revealed that 21% of motorists admit to using a hand-held phone when at the wheel which amounts to more than seven million drivers on the road and yet only 575,000 drivers have been prosecuted for doing so.

“With enforcement appearing not to be working we perhaps need to talk less of fines and more about how we create a united campaign that aims to make speaking, texting and using social media on a hand-held mobile as socially unacceptable as drinking and driving.”

Worryingly, more than a third of drivers in the survey admitted to having used a mobile phone while driving, with around 9% saying they’d been involved in a crash as a direct result.

Meanwhile, just over 7% of motorists said that they had taken a selfie while driving.

The recent popularity of the selfie – a picture of a person's own face, usually taken on a mobile phone – has led to many people trying to impress friends by taking them in unusual or amusing situations.

It’s thought that some drivers are capturing images of themselves while on the move in an effort to look daring.
These selfies are then being uploaded to social networking sites, often with hashtags such as #DrivingSelfies, #LookMumNoHands, or even #LuckyWeDidntCrash.

Been involved in an accident caused by another motorist who was using a mobile phone? Call Winns today on 0800 988 6288.

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