According to a new study, about twenty eight per cent of the motorists in the UK send text messages through their mobile deice while driving.

The study conducted by Direct Line and the road safety charity Brake also shows that 9 per cent of motorists confessed to using internet related features or apps while driving on the roads. Texting is believed to make drivers 23 times more likely to cause an accident while using an internet related feature or an app causes distractions from the road.

Julie Townsend, Brake campaigns director, said: “It is vital that the Government acts now to prevent an upsurge in distracted driving and it’s vital that drivers listen to these warnings and make a pledge to never use their phone when driving.”

Frances Browning, of Direct Line Car Insurance added that the mobile technology is very much integrated into out lives and drivers believe that it is acceptable to use mobile phones while driving. He pointed out that there is no justification from using such a device while on the wheel.

Brake and Direct Line has urged the motorists to turn off their mobile phones and put it out of reach to avoid the temptation of using it while they drive. They have also urged the authorities to ban the use of hands-free mobile phones when driving and impose stricter penalties.