Some 83 per cent of the drivers feel it is safe to use their mobile phones while driving and admitted to doing so in the last year, a survey by Samsung found. More than 90 per cent of drivers however said they found it dangerous for other drivers to use their mobile phones while driving

"Complacency seemed a key cause of the unsafe behaviour; when asked why respondents used their phones in this manner, the feeling that it was safe for them to do so was the response most cited," Samsung said in a press release on Tuesday afternoon.

With more motorists booked for using their mobile phones while driving, the Korean electronics firm launched a road safety campaign last month.

Targeting motorists who cannot leave their phones alone while on the roads, Samsung commissioned a survey to study the driving habits and perceptions of 513 drivers in relation to the use of mobile phones here.

Police statistics showed that in just nine months this year, 2,755 summonses were issued for phone-and-drive offences, compared to 1,893 summons over the same period last year. There was a 61.5 per cent spike in summonses issued from July to September, from the 1,705 issued up to June.

Under the Road Traffic Act, first-time phone-and-drive offenders can be fined up to $1,000, or jailed for up to six months, or face both a fine and jail term. Repeat offenders get up to double the penalty. All offenders are slapped with 12 demerit points and have their mobile phones seized by the Traffic Police for investigations.