Over 46,000 motorists a day still use mobiles
Friday August 29 2008
MORE than 46,000 drivers a day are using their mobile phone while driving on Irish roads.
The new figures come just two years after the introduction of new legislation which stipulates that it is an offence to use handheld mobiles while driving.
Under the Road Traffic Act 2006, drivers caught using their mobile phone while driving will be given two penalty points and a €60 fine.
The study, which was carried out by the experts in the HSE, has found that 2.3pc of drivers are still using handsets.
Data
Dr Mary O' Meara and her team from the Department of Public Health, HSE-North East, collected data at five different road junctions in an Irish town last year.
Out of 1,000 vehicles which passed through the junctions, 23 drivers were using handheld mobile phones.
"Our study confirms that drivers in Ireland still continue to use their mobile phones whilst driving, despite current legislation," said the report.
"In 2006, the number of registered motor vehicles in Ireland was 2,261,466."
"If two million of these took to the roads every day our findings would suggest that in any one day up to 46,000 drivers would be driving while using handheld mobile phones," added the researchers.
A ban on driving while using a handheld mobile phone was enacted in September 2006 under the new legislation.
FINES
Gardai fined 6,171 drivers for using handheld mobile phones in the four months following the implementation of the law.
A conviction in court will cost a driver up to €2,000 and four penalty points.
Drivers caught with a mobile phone don't need to be making or receiving a call, they merely need to be holding the mobile phone to be prosecuted.
Certain groups are exempt from the legislation if a mobile phone is required for them to carry out their duty.
- Geraldine Gittens
