HERE is some news which will not so much boggle the mind as have it doing the full boogaloo in a ra-ra skirt.

An increasing number of drivers have been caught taking selfies at the wheel.

If you think chatting on a mobile phone while driving or doing your eye-liner in traffic is worthy of help then the nine per cent of drivers casually snapping their own loveliness will almost certainly have Peter Cook's comedy judge suggesting psychiatric treatment of the sort offered by the excellent Dr Gleadle.

In fact a recent survey claimed men who take selfies are more likely to have tendencies towards being unbalanced than those of us who use the miraculous portabletelephone for simply talking to other people.

Misuse ofmobiles while driving featured in 1,690 collisions last year involving 110 fatalities.

My daughter can get a bit selfie-obsessed especially when we go out as a family. Invariably the final result appears on off-your-Facebook with a smiling mum and offspring being followed by a dodgy curmudgeon holding a dog and looking for all the world like his next public appearance should be on Crimewatch.

Honestly, I cannot understand the idea of the self-taken photograph in any circumstance let alone driving. If you really want to see what you look like behind the wheel use the rear view mirror.

And if you are doing this self-thing to send on to a friend or casual acquaintance don't bother, they won't be interested. Or perhaps they may be ifyou are in a spaceship or a fresh car. Like the Mazda CX-3.

Its sister CX-5 is well established as one of the best crossovers both in terms of quality and value. The thing is there is now a growing demand for miracles, something smaller on the outside but big indoors.

The Nissan Juke is a fine example, little larger than a storm trooper's breath mask with the interior dimensions of a Death Star. But, Er how can I put this, a familiar of the ugly tree.

The CX-3, on the other hand, has the space insidewith stunning good looks.

Specifically the focus is on the 1.5 103bhp diesel in Sport Nav trim costing a not unreasonable £21,895 and representing probably the best value in the range.

It is cheap to run, 70mpg is claimed and the computer was showing 56mpg, which for me is akin to a star in the east and three wise men on the nearest sand dune. Tax is £20 a year.

This will be a popular choice with company car drivers.

Frugal it may be but slow it is not. In common with these latest small-bore diesels the CX-3 manages reasonable performance at 10 seconds to 62mph.

The ride is refined even on 18-inch alloys, there is little noise from the engine or wider environment. If you are inclined to push on grip is impressive for a big-hat car.

In Sport Nav trim the talking point has to be the amount of equipmentstraight out of the box.

Highlights are, takes deep breath,LED lights, leather seats, reversing camera, head up display, lane departure warning, Bluetooth, sat nav and a cast of thousands, includingkeyless entry.

This little lot comes in a roomy and well finished cabin. The boot's big with a dual floor, retaining hook and light and there is plenty of other knick-knacks storage around the interior.

Oh and two USB ports. You don't want your selfie equipment running out of puff after all.

As expected the CX-3 is availablewith an all-wheel-drive option and you know how much I approve of that despite loss of economy. What is the point of a horse without a saddle? You slide off.

And ifyou must indulge in some telephone selfie abuse get out of the car andcatch it in the background as proof of good taste and sound judgement. Pretty as a picture.