MORE than one-third of young drivers are still using their mobiles behind the wheel - despite several road deaths being linked to phone use, and Australia having among the stiffest penalties in the world. 
Depending on which state or territory you're in, the fine for handling a mobile phone while on the move - even when it's not in use - ranges from $250 to $455, and three or four demerit points.
A landmark global study by carmaker Ford, which compares phone use among drivers around the world, has found one-third of Australian drivers aged 20 to 34 years of age admitted to using Facebook while behind the wheel.
This figure compares to 53 per cent of young drivers using Facebook while driving in the Philippines and 50 per cent in Thailand.
Meanwhile, 15 per cent of Australians aged 20 to 34 years old said they had snapped a "selfie" while driving, compared to 45 per cent of drivers of the same age in the Philippines, 35 per cent in Thailand and China and 28 per cent in India.
Between 121 and 310 drivers were surveyed from each country in the Asia-Pacific -region. Experts say taking a photo can distract a driver for 14 seconds, enough for a car travelling at 100km/h to cover the length of more than three football fields.
A study by Monash University found drivers are 2.8 times more likely to crash when dialling or handling a phone than when driving undistracted.Police are concerned about the high number of people caught each day using phones while driving, even though several deaths have now been attributed to distracted driving.