SOCIAL media use in the car and drivers using their phone for texting or email have been revealed as the biggest threats to road safety on Britain's roads.

They topped a list compiled by road safety group IAM RoadSmart in its annual Driving Safety Culture report.

The report explores the opinions, attitudes, and behaviours of motorists over time and has shone the spotlight on their biggest fears and worries.

Potholes are the biggest problem compared to three years ago with 90 per cent of drivers saying they have been affected by potholes over the past year, while 32 per cent have changed their route to avoid them and 16 per cent have reported a pothole to the authorities.

The most common perceived threats among motorists were drivers text messaging or emailing (92 per cent), checking or updating social media (91 per cent), driving after drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs (90 per cent), and drivers speeding on residential streets (88 per cent).

However, there was more disagreement on the topic of autonomous vehicles, with almost six in ten (59 per cent) of drivers worried about risks associated with driverless technology.

Meanwhile, of the eighteen behaviours tested, talking on a handsfree mobile and driving ten miles per hour over the speed limit are the only types of behaviour that over half of motorists believe to be acceptable.

The report plays an important role in the charity's lobbying and campaigning activities, as well as painting a useful picture of the opinions of drivers across the UK for those in central and local government.

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, said: "The topics of mobility and road safety are constantly evolving, and our Driving Safety Culture report puts the spotlight on the biggest issues that British motorists face when taking to the roads.

"Armed with this information, we can now tailor our lobbying and campaigning efforts, and represent the views of drivers to those who make the laws and hold the purse strings. What is clear is that there is a long way to go to convince British drivers that efforts to deal with the backlog of potholes is having any impact at all."