Motorists who use mobile phones while driving are to be fined under new regulations to come into force.
Gardaí, the Attorney General and the Department of Transport have been in discussion to finalize the details of the new offenses. Fines of several hundred euros and prison sentences can be imposed on drivers who are found guilty.
It’s a familiar sight. Drivers with one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding a mobile phone.
From next month, motorists found using their mobile phones while driving can be stopped by Gardaí and fined. Under the new regulations, a first offense can incur a fine of €190 and a second offense will be €435. If a driver is caught a third time, it could mean a fine of €435 or a jail sentence of three months.
From October, the new regulations will also be part of the penalty points system. Motorists will receive one point for a mobile phone offense.
12 points in three years and you’re off the road for six months.
Pat Costello, Chief Executive of the National Safety Council, says that the use of mobile phones has been associated with fatal crashes. The use of hand held mobile phones while driving has already been banned in around 25 countries.
It is a dangerous practice while driving a car.
The new legislation does not extend to hands-free devices. Gardaí are still waiting for confirmation on whether walkie-talkies are included and on whether the emergency services are exempt. The Attorney General will outline these amendments next month and it is then up to the Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan to sign them into law. When that happens, Gardaí can begin to enforce the new law.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 23 August 2002. The reporter is Flor MacCarthy.
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