Considering the coverage garnered by Ellen DeGeneres Oscar selfie and the epic-ness of Cian Healy's Six Nations one it is safe to assume that 'selfie' is the buzzword of 2014. But there is a time and place for taking a selfie (taking an image of oneself, usually with a smartphone camera for those that did not know) and behind the wheel of a car is neither. Yet according to a recent survey by UK price comparison website Confused.com 1 in 14 motorists (seven per cent) admit to having taken a picture of themselves while driving.
Even more alarming, four per cent admitted to sharing said image on social media - with Snapchat being the main culprit. Over a 30-day period Confused.com found 287 #drivingselfie and #drivingselfies tweets on Twitter most likely with added #YOLO hashtag - the irony of You Only Live Once obviously completely lost on those taking pictures of themselves while driving.
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While the increase in the number of driving selfies is alarming it is not the worst thing drivers do with their phone while behind the wheel. Some 36 per cent of respondents said they regularly used their phone at the wheel; making or receiving phone calls (75 per cent) was the biggest problem, followed by checking text messages (which likely includes WhatsApp or Viber messages too) at 43 per cent.
Yet, despite so many flouting the law, only eight per cent said they have actually been caught by police using their phone behind the wheel. And, of those who have been caught, 57 per cent admit to continuing to use their phone while driving after their brush with the law.