Wilson Nesbitt - Solicitors

Road safety campaigners 'Tune into Traffic' say texting and listening to iPods while driving are to blame for an increase in fatal road accidents, particularly among younger drivers. So significant is the increase in road traffic accidents caused by distracted driving, that the campaign group says young people are more likely to die in a car crash than to be stabbed, abused or neglected.

The group says young drivers are among those that most blatantly ignore the 2003 legislation making it illegal to use a mobile phone when driving, and say the government needs to "take notice of the way modern lifestyles are contributing to" increased deaths among young drivers. They have called for new initiatives on road safety to highlight the dangers of distracted driving.

And the dangers of listening to music devices do not just exist for the drivers. Abigail Haythorne died at the age of 17 when she cycled in front of an oncoming car that she had not seemingly noticed while listening to music. Jordan Bell, aged 14, died when she stepped out in front of a car while listening to her iPod.

One idea that has been muted is that of graduated drivers licenses such as those given out in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and some areas of the US. Young drivers get their license but can only drive under certain conditions e.g. no driving at night or unsupervised with friends. However, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents suggests that such a system would impose a burden on the police.