81% of UK Motorists Admit Using Mobile Phone while Driving

Distracted driving is a big issue for road safety, but a recent survey suggests that that the large majority of UK drivers still use hand-held mobile phones. According to The Telegraph, just over 8 out of 10 motorists, 81 percent to be more precise, admit they use their phone without a hands-free device while at the wheel, even though this has been deemed illegal for seven years now.

Over half said they used their phones to make calls, while 44 percent sent text messages while driving. Some 31 percent of the people polled by GoodMobilePhones.co.uk said they checked emails and 24 per cent admitted using their phones to check social networking sites while on the road, according to the poll of 1,859 motorists.

If seems a bit alarming that a quarter of motorist admit they are doing something as complicated as checking Facebook or Twitter while behind the wheel of their cars. Only 12 percent of people polled say that they would never make a phone call while driving without a hands free kit and just 3% said they’d never use their phone at all while on the road.

“It’s surprising to see how many people still take or make calls without a hands-free kit whilst driving, particularly given how aware we all are of the dangers. While we all may be guilty of checking the odd text or Facebook status when in a traffic jam, this is nevertheless illegal, not to mention hazardous to both yourself and other drivers. It’s amazing to think that the law banning mobile phones whilst driving is just over seven years old, yet the majority of people are still using their mobile phone whilst operating a vehicle,” said Mark Owen, the founder of GoodMobilePhones.