Mobile phone-using drivers the biggest festive danger, poll reveals

In the run-up to Christmas, and in the midst of the classic films, sitcom specials and numerous repeats, British motorists gathered around the telly will be repeatedly warned of the dangers of getting behind the wheel after a festive drink.

And, given the risk drink-drivers pose to themselves and others, rightly so.

Fortunately, the message seems to be hitting home and being taken on board and drink-driving is now not just a crime, but also something of a social faux-pas, with peer pressure arguably one of the biggest factors behind the increased acceptance of the need to stick to soft drinks or else take a taxi home from the work Christmas do.

Instead, new research suggests that those drivers keen to pass on season's greetings to their friends or family while driving are seen as a bigger menace than boy-racers, aggressive white van men or even those under the influence.

According to the study carried out by YouGov for the Association of British Insurers (ABI), 72 per cent of Britons feel that drivers using a mobile phone while behind the wheel are most likely to cause an accident.

What's more, the research also revealed the extent to which motorists are fed up with those who put all road users at risk through their insistence on using their handsets while on the go.

Indeed, three in four of those polled said they would like to see insurance companies take a tougher stance on reckless drivers, with most believing insurers should be allowed access to an individual's licence, complete with any convictions or endorsements, when they attempt to take out a policy.

Commenting, Nick Starling, the ABI's director of general insurance and health, said: "We rely on people being honest, but those who conceal motoring offences not only push up the cost of insurance for everyone, but also run the risk of having any claim rejected.

"To protect honest customers, insurers are currently discussing with [the] government whether they would be able to check for relevant motoring convictions and endorsements."

Such a desire to push the cost of motoring down for honest drivers is certainly understandable given that newly-released figures show that councils across the UK raked in a collective £328 million in parking fines in 2008 alone.

This is around three times the amount raised through the traditional scourge of UK drivers - speed cameras - and, despite claims that many local authorities now see their citizens as potential cash cows every time they take their cars out, it seems unlikely that any council leader will choose to scale down parking enforcement efforts any time soon.

As a result, drivers need to look after themselves and make savings where they can, whether this be on the cost of their cars, petrol or insurance.