Young Drivers Snapping ‘Selfies’ Behind the Wheel


131105133646-driving-selfies-story-top(CNN) — Drivers are endlessly creative when it comes to finding dumb things to do while behind the wheel: eating, texting, reading a map, applying makeup.

But technology has now inspired an alarming new trend: drivers taking self-portraits, or “selfies,” with their smartphone cameras while in motion.

Idiotic? Maybe so, but these self-portrait artists aren’t shy about sharing their photos. Instagram shows more than 3,727 posts under the #drivingselfie hashtag, more than 1,869 for the plural #drivingselfies, and more than 9,700 for #drivingtowork. Some users add the optimistic tag, #Ihopeidontcrash.

On Twitter, a search for “driving selfie” turns up hundreds of images.


Not surprisingly, highway safety advocates aren’t thrilled.

“Taking a photo of yourself while you’re driving a 2,000-pound vehicle down the road at 50 or 60 miles per hour? That is putting your life in danger and putting the lives of those around you in danger,” said Jackie Gillan, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

The trend isn’t limited to cars. There are also selfies of people piloting motorcycles, boats and even planes.

It’s not always clear from the photos if the vehicles are in motion or if the drivers waited until they were at a full and complete stop before capturing their very important moment. A few are group shots taken by passengers, which keep the driver’s hands on the wheel even if his or her eyes are off the road.

Governments, law enforcement and safety groups have been pushing hard in recent months to raise awareness about distracted driving, with texting receiving the most attention. For today’s young drivers, smartphones are rarely out of sight, and each ping announcing a new message can be a siren song that’s hard to resist.



More than 3,300 deaths every year are caused by distracted driving, according to the Department of Transportation. Taking a photo, like checking a text, might take only a few seconds, but when a vehicle is in motion that’s enough time to cause a serious accident, safety experts say.

The phenomenon is alarming enough that Toyota has released a “Don’t Shoot and Drive” ad aimed at Instagram-happy drivers. The ad shows a photo of a totaled car edited with various Instagram filters.



“Driving is a really serious thing,” said Gillan. “Can you imagine if a pilot crashed and we found out that people in the cockpit were taking selfies? People would be appalled.”

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    I have an Ideal Ban all devices from cars even passengers as just tonight coming home in the dark my child had her tablet on and it blinded me to where I could not see.Better yet just get rid of all this new telephone crap .Go back to the home phone why do people need phones for anyhow I mean really are you all that important?

    • OMG!

      Why should people who are responsible have to pay for the stupidity of jackasses like those mentioned? If a “person” is so addicted to a device that they cannot set it down while driving a car then since seldom do they ever get caught, Maybe a citizen who witnesses the idiots should be allowed to exact some justice on them? Plus how pathetic is a person who is so self absorbed that they feel taking pics of themselves is more important than someone else who is abiding by the law? People who do this: What a f-bag you are if you are and YOU deserve a beating or worse!!!