LONDON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The illegal use of handheld mobile phones has reached epidemic proportions in Britain with an estimated 11 million motorists admitting making or receiving a call while driving in the last 12 months, the RAC revealed Thursday.
The organisation said five million motorists have taken photos or videos while at the wheel of a moving vehicle.
The RAC research report said that for some drivers, attitudes towards handheld mobile use have worryingly relaxed over the last two years.
The proportion of people who feel it acceptable to take a quick call on a handheld phone has doubled from 7 percent in 2014 to 14 percent in 2016. The proportion of drivers who feel it safe to check social media on their phone when in stationary traffic, either at traffic lights or in congestion, has increased from 14 percent in 2014 to 20 percent in 2016, the report showed.
The motorist's organization said the most shocking revelation was the number of drivers who admit taking photographs and videos with their phones while driving.
"A shocking 14 percent percent said they had done so while driving and 22 percent admitted they have done so when in stationary traffic. The percentages rocket for younger drivers with 36 percent aged 17 to 24 admitting taking photos or videos when driving," said the RAC.
The RAC's 2016 Report on Motoring reveals that two-fifths of motorists rank the use of handheld phones by other drivers as one of their top four concerns, making it the nation's biggest motoring angst of 2016.
In Britain, motorists caught using their phone whilst driving, or even in stationary traffic, face a penalty of a minimum 100 pounds (133 U.S.dollars) fine and three points on their driving licenses. The government is currently considering tougher penalties.
RAC spokesman Pete Williams said: "There is clear evidence that the illegal use of handheld phones by drivers to talk, text, tweet, post, browse and even video call is, if anything, on the increase. It is alarming to see that some drivers have clearly relaxed their attitudes to the risks associated with this behaviour.
"The use of handheld mobile phones is the biggest road safety concern among motorists today. We call on all stakeholders to make the use of handheld mobiles phones as socially unacceptable as drink-driving."
"Nothing makes responsible motorists hotter under the collar than the sight of other drivers 'hanging' on their telephone while driving."
"Statistics from the Department for Transport show that in 2014, a driver impaired or distracted by their mobile phone was identified as a 'contributory factor' in 21 fatal road accidents, 84 serious and 387 slight accidents in Britain," the spokesman said.
