Drivers urged not to ring in new year

Drivers - ring in new year with care


Anton McNulty

GARDAÍ and the Road Safety Department of Mayo County Council have joined forces to urge motorists not to use their mobile phones while driving, even with hands-free kits.
A campaign to highlight the dangers while using a mobile phone was jointly launched in Mayo by Noel Gibbons, Road Safety Officer, and Chief Superintendent Tony McNamara. To illustrate the danger of using a mobile while driving, a crashed car with a large mobile phone protruding from the window with a ‘Slow, be careful how you ring in the new year’ message will be parked in one of Castlebar’s busy shopping areas.
The campaign aims to highlight that drivers are four times more likely to have an accident while using a mobile, and research from psychologists has established that drivers under stress are more likely to have an accident and that stress levels increase during phone conversations.
Mr Gibbons said that responsible drivers should switch off their phones whilst driving and warned that Gardaí will be clamping down on drivers who are caught using their mobiles.
“Driving on Irish roads is dangerous enough without the added risk of talking on the phone at the same time. If you must keep your phone switched on we recommend that you pull over where it is safe and convenient to do so to make or receive a call. This should be in emergency situations only. If you do use a mobile phone whilst driving the equipment must be totally hands-free. This means that the phone should be secured in a phone holder, or by other means, to avoid the need to hold the phone, but it is advisable not to use any form of mobile phone while driving,” he said.
As of April 30, 2008, there have been 35,253 offences for holding a mobile phone while driving, the third highest offence behind speeding and driving without a safety belt. Any person found holding a mobile phone faces up to four penalty points and a fine of €2,000 if convicted.