Women pose for a selfie photo at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California April 11, 2015. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

People have tumbled down the steps of the Taj Mahal, fallen off bridges and been electrocuted in an effort to take the perfect selfie.

In fact, there have been more selfie-related deaths this year than have have been deaths from shark attacks.

At least 12 people have been killed taking selfies while only eight have died in shark attacks.

MORE: Man, 21, kills himself trying to take gun selfie


Fatal shark attacks are rare (Picture: Getty Images)

The selfie obsession has reached such a point that some governments have introduced measures to reduce the risk of accident. In Australia, a 16-storey rock that resembles a wedding cake has been cordoned off because despite warnings it could collapse at any time, people continued to take photos on it.



In Russia, a poster was released warning the public of the dangers of doing such things as taking a selfie while holding a gun. If that seems over the top, a teenager died just weeks ago when he shot himself in the head posing for a selfie.

The moral of the story seems to be not only that fatal shark attacks are far less common than you might think, but to think twice before you do something reckless in the hope the photo will win you some approval online.

MORE: Teenager shoots himself dead while taking a selfie with a gun