The problem

The problem
The reason we did the research was because more than a third of whatcar.com readers we surveyed admitted to using a hand-held mobile phone while driving in the past month.

In fact, 11% say they do so on a daily basis and making and taking calls isn't the worst of it. Texting is even more deadly, because tapping in a message means your eyes are away from the road for much longer.

Young drivers are the biggest texting culprits. A recent study by the Government road safety group THINK! found that almost a third of 18 to 24-year-olds admitted to texting at the wheel, compared with only 12% of all adults.

Young drivers are also more blas about the risks. The study also found that a third of 16- to 24-year-olds didn't entirely agree that texting while driving was dangerous, whereas 86% of all adults did.