Mar 10
9
Donegal initiative: Missing the call won’t kill you, Taking it might!
Missing the call won't kill you, Taking it might! The Donegal Road Safety Working Group is currently focusing on the dangerous use of mobile phones by drivers at the campaign launch are Eileen Dennison, Donegal VEC, Inspector Michael Harrison, Traffic Corp, Eamonn Brown, Road Safety Officer Donegal County Council and Cllr. Ciaran Brogan, Donegal County Council. Photo Clive Wasson
The Donegal Road Safety Working Group is currently focusing on the dangerous use of mobile phones by drivers. In what is becoming an increasingly common sight motorists continue to flout the law and put lives at risk by calling or texting whilst driving. It has been an offence to hold a mobile phone while driving since the1st September 2006, and the offence has now overtaken seatbelt offences to become the second highest penalty point offence after speeding.
According to Garda Traffic Inspector, Michael Harrison, drivers and other road-users should be aware of the dangers of using mobile phones when driving, “Research tells us that you are four times more likely to have a crash if you use a hand-held mobile phone when you are driving. It clearly distracts the driver, impairs their control of the vehicle and reduces their ability to react to what is happening around them.”
Mayor Brendan Byrne has endorsed the campaign and believes that this emerging culture of using a phone when driving must be changed. He said, “Phones in cars can have many benefits. They provide security and help in an emergency. However, they are distracting if used when driving and this increases the risk of you being involved in a serious collision. It is hard to do two things at once and to drive safely you must fully concentrate on the road.”
The continued increase in mobile phone offences is reflected in a European road behaviour survey by Axa Insurance last year, which found that twice as many Irish drivers admitted to answering the phone without a hands-free kit than British motorists. This statistic is very worrying to Donegal County Council’s Road Safety Officer, Eamonn Brown who stated, “ Using your mobile phone while driving is dangerous and stupid. No call is important enough to risk putting your life or the lives of other road users at risk. The facts are clear – drivers are four times more likely to crash while on the phone. Don’t take a chance. Just switch it off or put it on silent before you drive off and you’ll potentially avoid a serious collision. Lets all work together to make our roads safer and not let the use of mobile phones when driving become a common killer behaviour.”
Despite the threat of €2,000 in fines and up to four penalty points, the number of notices for phone use while driving has continued to rise. In Donegal alone, 1,186 points have been issued to drivers for driving while holding a mobile phone. According to figures available on PenaltyPoints.ie, mobile phone offences now account for the second highest offence on Ireland’s roads at 85,912 (cumulative figure from date of introduction to the end of 2009), after speeding offences which account for 508,903 penalty points notices.
Inspector Harrison concluded his comments by saying, “ Today is about reminding people that it is illegal to use a handheld mobile phone when driving and hopefully people will take heed of this message. For those that don’t you need to be aware that Garda personnel are enforcing the law rigorously on mobile phones on a daily basis, for the safety of all road users there is no place for them when driving.
To highlight the dangers of driving while using a mobile phone a 30 second radio advert will run on all local radio stations throughout March and April.
Further information on the topic can be found in the RSA’s information leaflet ‘Mobile Phones and Driving’ which can be downloaded from www.rsa.ie.
The leaflet provides the following advice for drivers:
1.Switch off before you drive off. Turn off your mobile phone or put it on the ‘silent’ or ‘meeting’ option setting before starting your journey.
2.Use the voicemail on your mobile phone so people can leave messages for you while you’re travelling.
3.Stop regularly on your journey so you can check for messages and return any calls.
4.Make sure the place you stop is a legal and safe place to park. It is illegal to stop on a motorway unless it is an emergency.
5.If you call someone on their mobile phone while they are driving, be aware that they should be concentrating on their driving and not on your conversation. Tell them you will call them back or wait until they pull their car over.
