70% people use smartphones while driving: Study

As many as 70 % people use their smartphones while driving, and they do so not just to receive calls but to click selfies too, a new US study has found.

While texting (61%) and emailing (33%) are still the top activities of the drivers, 17 % study respondents said they take selfies while driving.

Drivers are also using social networking sites such as Facebook (27 %), Twitter (14 %), Instagram (14 %), and Snapchat (11 %) in addition to video chatting (10%).

About 62 % of the respondents said they keep their smartphones within easy reach while driving, while 30 % said they post to Twitter "all the time" when driving, 'GeekWire.com' reported.

As many as 22 % surveyed people said they access social networks while driving, citing addiction as a reason.

Of those who shoot videos behind the wheel, 27 % said they can do it safely while driving, the study conducted by US-based telecommunications company AT&T found.

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