Distracted parents are putting their children at risk by being obsessed with mobile phones, a senior British pediatrician has warned.
New research by the Child Accident Prevention Trust found almost a quarter of British parents were engrossed in their devices when their child had an accident or a near miss.
Dr Rahul Chodarhi, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in the UK, says parents are running the risk of their children having a nasty accident if they don't curb their use.
The study of 1000 parents, carried out by the Child Accident Prevention Trust, found the behaviour was rubbing off on children, with 15 per cent of young people having an accident or a near miss like stepping onto the road without looking while checking their smartphone.
New data shows two-thirds of Britons now own a smartphone, with one in three checking their device within five minutes of waking up.
"Accidents often happen when we're distracted and mobile phones are increasingly to blame," Dr Rahul Chodarhi.
"It only takes a split second for an accident to happen so I urge parents and young people to adapt their behaviour."
Parents are urged to switch off their phones during busy times of the day to keep children safe.
The research polled 1,000 parents of young children and comes during Child Safety Week.
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