Brits’ screen addiction could be ‘deadly’ on the road as smartphone users check their device every 12 MINUTES

BRITAIN'S phone addiction could prove deadly for drivers, a road safety charity has warned.

A recent report found Brits could not go more than 12 minutes without checking their smartphones, and safety experts are concerned about the impact this could have on traffic collision rates.

The Ofcom report found phone users were staring at their screens for an average of three hours and 26 minutes a day, with at least some of this time likely to coincide with time behind the wheel.

Driver's face a hefty £200 fine and six penalty points for touching their phone screen while behind the wheel.

But worryingly, two thirds of drivers still aren't aware of the penalty, and many continue to risk sending a text or checking social media in the car.

Road safety charity, Brake, has now called for motorists to take mobile use more seriously and not let an obsession with their phone get in the way of safe driving.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for Brake, said: “In our modern world it may seem unsurprising that people can’t go 12 minutes without using their smartphone, but this ‘addiction’ can have deadly consequences if people can’t leave their phones alone whilst driving.

"A split-second distraction caused by a call, text or notification behind the wheel can be fatal.

"In 2016, 32 people were killed and 105 seriously injured in crashes involving a driver being distracted by their mobile phone, and this problem is getting worse year-on-year.

“Illegal mobile phone use behind the wheel is all too common and action needs to be taken to rid our roads of this dangerous menace.

"Drivers need to understand that no call, text or social media update is worth risking a life.”

Last month, we reported on the daunting "Road Respect" campaign. 

It used giant smartphone installations to display the final text messages sent by drivers who died while using their phone behind the wheel.