1 in 5 young people admit to video calling whilst driving

In a shocking statistic by the RAC Report on Motoring 2020, nearly 20% of 17 to 24 year olds admit to  participating in video calls whist driving. This is more than twice the overall average for UK drivers. The  rise in video calling is attributed to the availability on a wide range of popular social media platforms  including Snapchat, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.  

Potentially more concerning is that in the RAC report they also note the dangers of gaming whilst driving,  which was mentioned in a previous blog, 'New Law: Drivers banned from picking up mobiles'. Gaming  amongst other activities was technically still legal before this new law, so hopefully we will see a decline in  the statistic that 9% of 17 to 24 year olds that admit they do this while driving.  

Nevertheless, the RAC are still worried about handheld calling and texting whilst driving and this is their  'second biggest overall motoring-related concern'.  In their latest report 29% of all drivers in 2020 say they  make and receive calls whilst behind the wheel. Moreover, younger drivers are even more likely to do so  (42%).    

So how does the UK solve this problem of illegal and dangerous activity?  The majority of motorists are  supportive of increased use technology, a more economical option over police resources. Other countries,  like Australia are already using cameras to enforce laws on mobile usage whilst driving. Both technology  and a change in driving attitudes will combat the problem.