Around one in eight drivers in Northern Ireland have admitted to texting while behind the wheel, a new survey has revealed.
The Road Safety Issues in Northern Ireland 2019-20 report, published on Thursday, also revealed that nearly three-fifths (57%) of all drivers confessed to using their phone in some capacity while driving.
Around one in 11 admitted to making a hand-held call while driving, according to the report, which is produced by the Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB) of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and is covered under the 2019-20 Continuous Household Survey (CHS) which engaged with 9,000 households here.
The findings come as stiffer penalty points and fines for those using a mobile phone while driving came into force earlier this month.