Stop With The Selfies: DMV Says New Yorkers Take Too Many Photos While Driving
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is warning New York drivers against taking selfies behind the wheel.
An Auto Insurance Center study of social media shows New Yorkers are among the most likely to snap a selfie while driving, CBS2 reported.
More: Read The Full Study Here
"We obtained this data by analyzing geotagged Instagram posts with the hashtag #DrivingSelfie over a five-year period," said Justin Loera, a senior insurance market analyst at AutoInsuranceCenter.com.
About 70,000 Instagram posts had incriminating hashtags, such as #DrivingSelfie and #IHopeIDontCrash.
New Yorkers are ranked 8th in the nation -- with about one driving selfie posted per 100,000 residents. California ranks number one, with 2.53 selfies taken per 100,000 residents, followed by Nevada, Florida and Hawaii.
Mississippi ranked lowest in the country, with around 0.2 selfies taken per 100,000 people.
Some local drivers were surprised with the results.
"I would never do that, I think that's just ridiculous," one Long Island driver told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond. "I feel bad for them because they don't realize how bad it can be."
Other studies have shown men and women ages 20-29 are the most likely to take selfies behind the wheel.
New York is one of 14 states to have a total ban on the use of mobile devices while driving.
