Texting 'increases chances of a crash by 23 times'

People who text while they are driving increase their risk of a crash by 23 times, a new study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute has suggested.

According to the research, which looked at 100 van and truck drivers, this raises the chances of an accident more than taking a mobile phone call while behind the wheel.

It revealed that sending a text message resulted in drivers taking their eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds over a six-second period.

The report stated during this time a car at 55 mph could travel the length of a football pitch.

Other factors which were shown to increase the chances of an accident among the participants were dialing a phone number, reaching for a mobile and taking a call.

It said: "These results show conclusively that a real key to significantly improving safety is keeping your eyes on the road."

Recently, the Driving Standards Agency released tips for Brits planning long journeys in areas they are not familiar with this summer.

This story has been supplied by a third party and as such its content may not reflect the views of the Environmental Transport Association.