HANG UP TO SURVIVE
Phone-obsessed drivers caught taking selfies, watching porn
MORE than 80 reckless motorists a day are being nabbed texting, making calls, using social media and even taking selfies while driving as police launch a blitz to catch Victoria’s careless drivers.
Data obtained shows a 13 per cent increase in the number of infringement notices issued to drivers using mobile phones in 2017 compared with the previous year.
Road policing command Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer said, with the increase of social media, police had seen a dangerous jump in offending.
Police have caught drivers scrolling through Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and: TAKING photos and selfies; REPLYING to text messages; WATCHING music videos; SCROLLING through music playlists; and, PLAYING with maps
Between January 1 to November 30 last year, 27,778 motorists were caught with a mobile phone in their hand compared with 24,529 in 2016.
Police caught 83 drivers a day last year — 534 a week — sending text messages, making phone calls and checking their social media accounts.
Phone-obsessed motorists have been caught using multiple devices and even watching porn. Last week a driver was nabbed watching a Steven Seagal movie.
The data revealed a surge in drivers aged 30 to 39 after police caught 8061 motorists in that group, a 12 per cent rise.
Mr Fryer said police last week pulled over a man playing Pokemon on his phone with kids in the back seat.
“We often get parents taking selfies of them and the kids in the back seat,” he said. “It’s just fraught with danger.”
Mr Fryer said sending a text message while driving at high speed was equivalent of driving 100m with your eyes closed.
Police have urged motorists to “put the phone away” or on Do Not Disturb while driving.
“I’m sure your friends and family would prefer you to get there a little bit late than dead on time,” he said.
“Hey are you still coming today,” was the text hairdresser Brooke Richardson sent to a client on her way to work in Cobram on December 4, 2012.
Seconds later, her car slammed into a tree — killing the 20-year-old instantly.
Five years on and the pain has not eased for Brooke’s mother, Vicki.
“People don’t realise the impact it has,” Mrs Richardson said.
“Brooke’s friends are starting to get married and have babies ... it’s these life stages she will miss out on and no words can describe what that pain is like.”
When Brooke died, Mrs Richardson launched the Don’t Text-AND-Drive foundation.
“Don’t make your parents sit next to your grave on Christmas Day, birthdays and Mother’s and Father’s day,” she said.
“Your life isn’t worth losing for a text, phone call, or Instagram post.”
Drivers nabbed on their phones face a $476 fine and a loss of four demerit points.