A poll of 1,500 drivers across the UK has highlighted those behaviours and events that are the most likely to cause them to be distracted when behind the wheel.

Research carried out by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and Vision Critical revealed a significant proportion of road users may not be paying due care and attention to the task of driving as a result of some common distractions.

Coming out on top was the distraction of having children in a vehicle – 29 per cent of drivers admitted this can cause them to lose concentration.

This was followed by changing the radio station (27 per cent), back seat drivers causing headaches (26 per cent) and having to deal with issues arising from the use of sat nav devices (15 per cent).

Perhaps surprisingly, 14 per cent of drivers also admitted they can become distracted when they see an attractive pedestrian, driver or passenger – although men were by far the worse culprits for this (23 per cent compared to just three per cent of women).

Meanwhile, texting and social media updates were shown to be a distraction for ten per cent of motorists, although this figure rose to 23 per cent for younger drivers aged from 18 to 24.

IAM chief executive Simon Best commented: “People who think they can multi-task while driving are kidding themselves. If you take your eyes off the road for just two seconds at 30 miles per hour, you’ll travel close to 90 feet, effectively blind. All drivers develop bad habits over time.

“The key to reducing distractions and their impact is to learn to look upon your driving as a skill that needs continuous evaluation and improvement.”

Motorists keen to avoid falling foul of the law should have their wits about them at all times. However, drivers who have been prosecuted for poor driving behaviour in the past might like to find the best deals on convicted driver car insurance by getting touch with the team at GSI Insurance Services (Southern) Limited.