Snap happy young drivers take selfies behind wheel

A survey has found that one in four young people in Europe have taken a selfie while driving. Photo / Getty Images

A survey has found that one in four young people in Europe have taken a "selfie" while driving and nearly half of young drivers admit to having used their smartphone to snap a pic behind the wheel.

The survey by Ford Motor Company of 7000 smartphone users aged 18-24 from across Europe also showed one in four people have used social media sites behind the wheel.

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Young male drivers were the most likely to ignore the risks. Nearly all drivers surveyed agreed the activities were dangerous.

According to the survey, British drivers are the most likely to snap a "selfie" on the move (33 per cent), ahead of their counterparts in Germany (28 per cent).

German drivers are the most likely to use social media apps or websites (35 per cent) ahead of those from the UK (32 per cent), and only 8 per cent in Spain.

Nearly all Romanian drivers admitted having taken a photo behind the wheel (97 per cent).

Ford has found that snapping a "selfie" at the wheel can distract a driver for 14 seconds, and checking social media channels can distract for 20 seconds - long enough for a car travelling at 100 km/h to cover the length of five football pitches.

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