More than half of drivers aged between 17 and 24 have admitted to texting or checking their social media while driving says a new study from Ford.
The study of 1,000 young motorists in the UK found that 54 per cent have looked at their mobile phone ill driving, a further 38 per cent have actually sent a text and 27 per cent have made a call without using hands free.
Social media is a growing problem for young drivers, unbelievably seven per cent have admitted to scrolling through their profile while driving, while one in twenty have stupidly posted to their accounts while driving.
Debbie Chennells from Ford said: "Traffic accidents are one of the top causes of death for people aged between 18-24 in Europe with more than 38,000 killed each year - 67 per cent of which are drivers.
"With very little experience behind the wheel, it's worrying to see so many young drivers are using their mobile phones while driving and putting themselves and others at risk.
"Even those with years of experience and the best driving skills would find their concentration reduced behind the wheel while using their phone.”
Ford’s study was launched by the company’s Driving Skills for Life programme, which targets practical driving skills in 45,000 young drivers across Europe. The scheme has been parked in 2020, and there are worries that some young drivers will look elsewhere for driving tips. Some 34 per cent of young drivers admit they have watched a YouTube video to improve their driving skills, while 26 per cent believe that video games can help improve their driving.
"The visuals and driving dynamics in computer games are incredibly realistic and make for a remarkably effective way to safely show young drivers the often-terrible consequences of driving errors,” Channels continued.
“You might have infinite lives in computer games but in real life you get just one."