Car Selfies: A Moronic Craze That's Worryingly Common

Love it or hate it, there's no denying the social media generation has embraced the 'selfie.' Whether they're going to bed, the gym, or even taking a bath, the lives of Twitter and Instagram users are captured and broadcast to the world via the latest digital craze. But could this seemingly innocent task actually be endangering the lives of drivers?

A recent study by insurance comparison site Confused has revealed that a significant - and rather shocking - seven per cent of 18 to 24-year-old drivers in the UK admit to taking selfies when driving. Meanwhile, as many as nine per cent have admitted to using social media sites like Snapchat and Twitter behind the wheel.

Rocking with @Power1075 to that Jonh Legend #Carselfie #iCantStopSinging pic.twitter.com/1UEiuGwvRf

— Chef Loney (@LoneyDaGreat) April 3, 2014

With the latest mobile phones providing drivers with access to a raft of apps and social media sites when on the road, you'd expect these smartphone using drivers to be caught in large numbers. But it turns out that just one in ten drivers have been collared using their phone in the car, meaning a large proportion of these hazardous 'car selfies' go unpunished.

Perfect day for a little roadtrip. Driving with the windows down, absolutely loving this weather! #FLgirl #carselfie pic.twitter.com/tfGOMfrs7A

— Claudia Rupcich (@Claudia8News) March 31, 2014

A quick search on Instagram will leave you faced with over 10,000 images tagged as #DrivingSelfie or #DrivingSelfies, whilst other searches will reveal images tagged under worrying phrases like #LuckyWeDidntCrash and #LookMaNoHands.

Experienced selfie addicts can take anywhere between three to five seconds to snap their life-risking mugs, in which time they could have travelled over 100 metres at the motorway speed limit without having glanced at the road ahead. It's true the selfie might have started as an innocent internet craze, but with nine per cent of road accidents occurring when phones are used at the wheel, it could be one of the most dangerous - not to mention moronic - actions a road user could take.