Selfie surge puts Britain bottom of Euro league

A third of young drivers have taken ‘selfies’ while driving, according to a survey which suggests Britain is the worst place in Western Europe for motorists using mobiles at the wheel.

Around 33% of motorists aged 18-24 admitted to taking a selfie while driving, compared to 28% in Germany, 27% in Romania, 26% in Italy, 18% in Spain and 17% in Belgium.

The Ford Motor Company study of 7,000, 18 to 24-year-old smartphone users also revealed that a quarter of drivers across Europe had accessed social media sites while driving.

And, according to the overall results, male drivers were the worst offenders.

The report said that in the average estimated time it takes to check social media sites - 20 seconds – a car moving at 60mph could journey the length of five football pitches.

Jim Graham, manager of Ford's Driving Skills for Life programme, said: ''Taking a selfie has for many young people quickly become an integral part of everyday life. But it's the last thing you should be doing behind the wheel of a car'.

''It is deeply worrying that so many young drivers admit to taking a photo while driving and we will be doing all we can to highlight the potential dangers through driver education."

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