70 percent people use smartphones while driving: Study

Most people at some point of time use their smartphone while driving. And the use is not just confined to making or receiving calls as some people also click selfies while driving, a new study says.

A new American multinational telecommunications corporation AT&T study has found that 70 percent of drivers use their smartphones while at the wheel, GeekWire.com reported.

Texting (61 percent) and Emailing (33 percent) are still the top activities, but now people are using Facebook (27 percent), Twitter (14 percent), Instagram (14 percent), and Snapchat (11 percent) too.

Even 17 percent of respondents said they take selfies while driving, while 10 percent said they video chat.

As many as 62 percent keep their smartphones within easy reach while driving while 30 percent of people who post to Twitter while driving do it "all the time". Around 22 percent who access social networks while driving cite addiction as a reason.

Of those who shoot videos behind the wheel, 27 percent think they can do it safely while driving.

The study, conducted by Braun Research with 2,067 participants who own a smartphone and drive at least once a day, was part of AT&T's "It Can Wait" campaign that encourages people to put down their smartphones while driving.

"When we launched "It Can Wait" five years ago, we pleaded with people to realise that no text is worth a life," Lori Lee, AT&T's global marketing officer, said in a statement.

"The same applies to other smartphone activities that people are doing while driving. For the sake of you and those around you, please keep your eyes on the road, not on your phone," Lee added.