Up to one in five young drivers risks their life by taking ‘selfies’ at the wheel, new research reveals today.

Motorists are also using their mobile phones and tablets to make video calls and watch films while driving, a poll by the respected Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) found.

Nearly one in ten drivers of all ages admitted to taking a selfie while on the road in the last month.

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Up to one in five young drivers are risking their lives by taking 'selfies' at the wheel, while motorists are also using their phones and tablets to make video calls or watch films at the wheel, research suggests (file picture)

But this increased to one in seven (15 per cent) of those aged 18 to 24 - and nearly one in five (19 per cent) of motorists aged between 25 and 35.

The survey found women were less selfie obsessed than men, with just one in 20 women saying they had taken a picture of themselves while driving compared to one in eight men.

One in 12 motorists admitted to driving while using a video-calling application such as FaceTime and Skype to make and receive video calls.

Some 7 per cent of drivers said they watched videos and used catch-up television services such as iPlayer at the wheel.

Nearly one in five told the researchers they had surfed the internet using their smartphone or tablet.

The IAM said it was time to impose tougher penalties after the ‘shocking’ results from the survey of 500 drivers who were asked how they use their smartphones and tablets in the car.

The survey found women were less selfie obsessed than men, with just one in 20 women saying they had taken a picture of themselves while driving compared to one in eight men

An earlier IAM report in 2012 showed that using a smartphone while driving is more dangerous than driving at the legal alcohol limit or when using cannabis.

Drivers have much slower reaction times, difficulty staying in the same lane and are less able to adapt to even slowly changing circumstances.

IAM chief executive Sarah Sillars said: ‘Everyone knows how dangerous using a smartphone or tablet is while driving. That’s why it’s shocking to see new trends like taking selfies and making video calls becoming common practice’.

She added: ‘Safe driving is everyone’s responsibility and more must be done to catch drivers using these devices dangerously by increasing the fines and points for smartphone and tablet use at the wheel – there is simply no excuse.

‘Campaigns must also be introduced that raise awareness of the prevalence of the issue in society and make this behaviour socially unacceptable as drink-driving.’