![\"Driving](\"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/Driving-Selfiejpg.jpg\")
<\/a>Driving selfie<\/p><\/div>\n
Source: News24<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on this story<\/h3>\n
Student Nicci Redelinghuys, who purportedly took a series of selfies while driving, says she has learnt her lesson.<\/p>\n
She denied on Thursday that she ever took pictures while driving and that it was just an \u201cinnocent private joke\u201d gone awry.<\/p>\n
Redelinghuys purportedly posted \u201cselfie\u201d pictures of herself driving in various poses, which raised the ire of road safety and community activism groups when they went viral.<\/p>\n
The caption on the offending picture reads: \u201cSo yesterday I was driving on the N3 trying to take a selfie. lol. I kept looking at the camera and forgetting to watch the road! But I guess I finally got it kind of right! I still look scared as shit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her father told News24 on Thursday that she had been grounded after he confiscated her phones and car, and shut down her social media accounts.<\/p>\n
But Redelinghuys issued a statement from her Facebook account, in which she responded to the \u201csocial media rage\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have decided to formally respond to the media rage about what I posted on Facebook.<\/p>\n
“I believe that I have caused a big amount of damage and a lesson was learnt the hard way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday I would like to state my side to clear the air. I was not physically driving when I took the photo of myself. As most of you have noticed my photos were taken whilst stationary and I was not on the N3.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know my actions were wrong and as a 20-year-old I did not know how to respond to the social media outrage than to put my defences up. I apologise if I have done any harm.<\/p>\n
My intention was not to come across as an irresponsible girl and it was just a[n] innocent private joke with my friends,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She had a word of warning to anyone who tried to emulate her social media faux pas.<\/p>\n
\u201cI take full responsibility for my actions and ask the public to please find it in themselves to forgive me. I also encourage people not to copy what I have done as I would not wish for anyone to have to deal with the social media rage and hurtful words that i have had to deal with today.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to apologise to my father who has had to deal with this and get involved, you do so much for myself and the community and I feel I have let you down.<\/p>\n
This is my only statement I will not respond to questions or calls regarding this. Once again my apologies to South Africa and my family,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n