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GETTY Motorists admit they phone, text and use social media behind the wheel Around 11million motorists admit that they have illegally used their mobile phone while driving in the last year

- and 5million even say that they have taken photos or video when they're supposed to be concentrating on the road. The shocking statistics come from the RAC's Report on Motoring

2016, which shows that attitudes to use of a phone while driving are becoming increasingly relaxed: Between 2014 and 2016, the proportion of motorists who think it's acceptable to take

a call on their phone while driving has doubled from 7 per cent to 14 per cent. Even more worrying is finding that the percentage of drivers who think it's OK to check on their social

media feeds when their car is stationary has risen from 14 per cent in 2014 to 20 per cent this year. RELATED ARTICLES That means one in five of us is checking Facebook, Twitter or Instagram

at traffic lights. Overall attitudes to phone use in the car seem to be rapidly shifting, as while only 8 per cent admitted to doing so in 2014, that proportion is now 31 per cent - almost

one in three British drivers. Social media users also feel it's now safe to admit their inability to ignore their devices, with 19 per cent now saying that they do it, compared to 7 per

cent two years ago. [embedded content] And smartphone cameras are working overtime, it seems, as 14 per cent have used them for photos or video while driving, while 22 per cent have snapped

or filmed when stationary. Perhaps unsurprisingly, younger drivers are even worse: 36 per cent of 17-24-year-olds have taken photos or videos when driving and 44 per cent when at a

standstill. While 26 per cent of drivers aged 25-44 take photos or video on the move and 31 per cent when stopped in traffic. But despite admitting our own bad habit, we still see phone use

as a problem: 41 per cent of motorists consider phone use by other drivers at the wheel as one of their top four concerns. This contradiction is perhaps best highlighted by motorists

expressing frustration with other drivers using a handheld phone and saying it is their number-one concern. But at the same time a half (49 per cent) of drivers admit to using their handheld

phone at the wheel in stationary traffic during the last 12 months, and a third (31 per cent) who said they have used a handheld phone to make or receive a call while actually driving.

Research shows categorically that using a handheld mobile phone is a significant distraction when driving, with the Transport Research Laboratory even finding that drivers using a handheld

mobile phone had reaction times 30 per cent slower than those who had exceeded the current drink drive limit. GETTY The use of a handheld mobile phone while driving was made a criminal

offence in December 2013 Department for Transport crash statistics also point to the fact that drivers impaired or distracted by their mobile phone were identified as a 'contributory

factor' in 21 fatal road accidents, 84 serious and 387 slight accidents in the UK in 2014. The use of a handheld mobile phone while driving was made a criminal offence in December 2003:

Offenders currently receive three penalty points on their licence and a £30 fine, rising to a maximum of £1,000. However, the government is about to publish the findings of a consultation

on higher penalties for handheld mobile phone use and it seems probable that it will announce that the minimum fine will increase from £100 to £150 and three points will rise to four for

non-HGV drivers and six for HGV drivers. GETTY RAC's Report on Motoring 2016 show the attitudes to use of a phone while driving has increased > The fact that drivers have little or 

no confidence that they will be > caught when breaking these laws is a likely contributor to the > problem >  > Pete Williams RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said:

"There is clear evidence that the illegal use of handheld phones by drivers to talk, text, tweet, post, browse and even video call is, if anything, on the increase. "It is alarming

to see that some drivers have clearly relaxed their attitudes to the risks associated with this behaviour but more worryingly is the increase in the percentage of motorists who actually

admit to using a handheld device when driving. "It is sadly the case that every day most road users see other drivers brazenly using their handheld phones when in control of a vehicle -

a sight which should be a thing of the past. GETTY Attitudes to phone use in the car is increasing "The use of handheld mobile phones is the biggest road safety concern among motorists

today, and while the government is progressing the introduction of stiffer penalties, we call on all stakeholders to step up efforts to shift cultural attitudes and make the use of handheld

mobiles phones as socially unacceptable as drink-driving. "With compliance on some traffic laws including the use of handheld mobile phones seemingly getting worse, the RAC calls for

an end to cuts to dedicated roads policing and urges the government and chief constables to give greater priority to enforcement of road traffic laws. "The RAC is also calling on the

government to invest in a high-profile awareness campaign to highlight the danger of using a handheld phone at the wheel and to drive home the message that it simply won't be tolerated.

GETTY 49 per cent of drivers admit to using their handheld phone at the wheel in stationary traffic "Nothing makes responsible motorists hotter under the collar than the sight of other

drivers 'hanging' on their telephone while driving as 41 per cent rank this as one of their top four concerns and 13 per cent said that it was their biggest worry. That is far

greater than the fear of other drivers under the influence of alcohol (5 per cent) or drugs (3 per cent). "We have a situation where motorists are increasingly worried about the number

of other drivers who appear to be hooked on using their smartphones while driving, presenting both a physical and mental distraction and making them a significant risk to other road users

and pedestrians when their attention should be fully focused on the road. "With the advent of a new era in gaming and augmented reality apps like Pokémon Go which attracts young and old

fans, we need to address the temptation which some feel unable to resist, and make the use of handheld phones while driving an absolute no-go."