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They might benefit from lower insurance policies and have the wealth of experience behind them, but older drivers are much worse at driving if distracted.

Scientists have found that mature motorists, who are typically regarded as being safer than younger drivers, are far more likely to have an accident if they attempt to text while behind the wheel.

They found that while all motorists tended to perform worse when trying to send messages on a mobile phone, those who were aged between 45 and 59 years old performed worse.

Despite having less experience behind the wheel, the research suggests that younger motorists get less distracted by using their mobile phone to send text messages than their older counterparts

Professor Randall Commisaris, a pharamceutical scientist at Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan, said the findings showed that older drivers struggled to cope with distractions, despite having more experience.

Indeed, he said that many older drivers believe they can get away with using their mobile phone while behind the wheel because they think they are better, safer drivers than those with less experience.

He said: 'Generally, people believe that younger drivers are more easily distracted and therefore would be more susceptible to the dangers of texting and driving.

'However, our study - which included drivers ranging in age from 18 to 59 - demonstrated just the opposite.

'Although texting while driving had a negative impact on drivers of all ages, younger drivers were less distracted by texting, and older drivers' performance was much worse because of their texting.'

The researchers, whose work is published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, tested the driving of 50 motorists aged between 18 and 59 years old who all owned smartphones and indicated they were prolific texters able to send messages with one hand.

The study showed that while sending messages, about 50 per cent of all the drivers strayed from their line while trying to text.

However, among those aged between 45 and 59 years old, 100 per cent of the motorists strayed from their lanes while texting.

For subjects between the age of 35 and 44 years old, 80 per cent of subjects left their lane when texting and 40 per cent of those between 25 and 35.

The best performing group were drivers aged between 18 and 24, where just a quarter strayed from their lane while texting.

The findings have alarmed motoring groups, who emphasis that drivers who are distracted by sending text messages are less likely to spot oncoming hazards and are more likely to have accidents. 

Motorists were tested for their ability to stay in a lane while driving a simulator and texting at the same time

Around 50 per cent of motorists admit to having texted while behind the wheel of their car, according to some surveys.

And last year texting while behind the wheel overtook drink driving as the biggest cause of death among teenagers in America.

More than 3,000 teenagers were killed in car crashes caused by texting while driving compared to 2,700 from drink driving.

In the UK, however, motorist are banned from using their mobile phones while driving and face a fine of £60 if caught.

The Government has announced it is considering increasing the on the spot fine to £90.

Yet around 150,000 drivers are convicted each year of offences involving a mobile phone.

Some states in the US also ban the use of mobile phones.

Professor Commissaris said it was possible that younger drivers were better at texting while driving because they find the use of such technology more intuitive.

He said: 'It is possible that, relative to younger drivers, older drivers spend more of their texting time looking at their cell phones and not at the road - this could increase driving errors in our older drivers.

'Alternatively, it is possible that older drivers do not differ from younger drivers with respect to the time spent looking at their phones, but they are more distracted by texting while driving because they are less able to manage the cognitive demands of multitasking.'

Doreen Head, assistant professor of occupational therapy at Wayne State University, added: 'There is a perception that more-experienced drivers can text and drive more safely because they can manage distractions better than less-experienced drivers.

Wayne State University found middle aged drivers were far more likely to stray from lanes while texting

'Not only are adults sending the wrong message because they are telling young people to do as they say, not as they do, but they are also putting themselves and others in harm's way.'

A spokesman for the AA said that even if younger people were better able to cope with texting and driving at the same time, they should not try to as the research showed it still increases the risk of having an accident.

He said: 'In many ways these findings are irrelevant in the UK as texting in any form while driving is illegal.

'If someone is involved in an accident when driving then the judge will throw the book at them.'