The survey by road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist finds that more than one in 10 drivers (11%) are prepared to use a hand-held mobile at the wheel, and more than six in 10 (63%) admitting to snacking while driving

And 42% of drivers admit to reduced levels of attention because they’re prepared to tolerate more distractions while driving.

Yet, more than 75% of motorists want to see more traffic cops clamping down on law-breaking drivers.

GEM chief executive David Williams MBE said: “The survey reveals the double standards at the heart of motoring in this country, and the enormous challenge the authorities face to promote behaviour change.

“As one of our respondents commented, manufacturers increasingly afford drivers the opportunity to communicate from their vehicles. The temptation to take advantage of this is too high for most normal people and punishing them is not going to provide the solution.”

The survey shows that opinion is split on the value of enforcement cameras, with 34.9% of respondents calling for more cameras, 39.4% happy with existing levels of automated enforcement and 25.7% wanting fewer.

Following regular reports about drivers still permitted to keep their licences despite accumulating 12 or more penalty points, 66.4% of respondents wanting courts to show a tougher, more consistent line in their sentencing of ‘totters’.

Williams added: “We believe the Government priority should be to seek out a raft of new, compelling messages that will persuade drivers to banish distractions. At the same time, we call for a much-needed boost in traffic police numbers to deal with the riskiest drivers on our roads.”