Taking selfies & texting at the wheel

Car crashes are the main cause of death among young drivers. A main cause is lack of attention to the road, which slows reaction speed. Taking photos or checking your Facebook status behind the wheel pose a real danger to your safety – and that of other road users.

 

A survey conducted by Ford on 7,000 smartphone users between 18 and 24 from 7 European countries showed that one in 4 had taken a selfie while driving. Nearly half  admitted they'd taken a photo with their smartphone while on the road, while one in 4 had used social media. And no fewer than 916 status updates were sent using the #drivingselfie hashtag in an average month (see the infographics).

 

More and more car accidents - including fatal ones – involve drivers taking selfies. Driving demands that you maintain full control of your vehicle at all times. Taking a selfie distracts you for 14 seconds - and checking social networks can distract you for a full 20 seconds.

 

That's long enough for a car travelling at 100 km/h to cover 5 football fields!

 

To use your smartphone, find a safe place to park and take your time. For more tips on safe driving, check out this wiki page.

 

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), which seeks to reduce transport-related death and injury, can help you keep up-to-date on transport safety in the EU.