'Half of motorists text while driving'
Date: 27/02/2008 12:00:00
Almost 50 per cent of UK motorists could be risking more than a car insurance claim by texting on their mobile phones while driving.
According to figures gathered by the RAC Foundation, 45 per cent of drivers text on their phones while at the wheel, with only 11 per cent of drivers turning their mobiles off while driving.
The organisation has identified five different groups of texters - Multi-tasking multimedia maestros who account for 21 per cent of drivers who send texts in freely-flowing traffic, predominantly male.
Opportunistic optimisers tend to text while stuck in a traffic jam and account for 19 per cent of the texting driver population, while non-reactive realists will not text at the wheel but leave their phones on while driving.
Casual observers read their texts but do not respond and account for five per cent of drivers, while Trendsetting team players switch off their mobiles while behind the wheel.
"Our message is clear - texting whilst driving is not safe," commented Elizabeth Dainton, research development manager for the RAC Foundation.
Last year, it was suggested that motorists who combine dangerous driving with another crime such as using a mobile at the wheel should face up to two years in prison.