Number of drivers caught on mobile phone up 24%

Rise of almost 1,000 in a year ‘Message is put the phone away’

THE number of motorists caught on the phone while driving in the first two months of the year has surged by almost a quarter, new figures show.

It is now the second most common reason, after speeding, for drivers being stung with penalty points.

Now gardaí and the Road Safety Authority are urging drivers, ahead of the Easter weekend, to put their mobile phones away when behind the wheel so they can focus on the road.

An increase of 24% in the number of drivers caught engaged in the illegal practice compared to the same period last year is worrying.

That 24% rise relates to almost 1,000 motorists. There were 3,963 drivers caught in the act in January and February 2018. This year, the number was 4,905 for the same period.

Transport Minister Shane Ross slammed the latest figures as shocking and called for drivers to ‘put the phone away’.

Road Safety Authority chief Moyagh Murdock warned: ‘Taking a call, sending a text or browsing while driving could kill you or some other innocent road user. Putting the phone away won’t.

‘Nothing is that urgent that it cannot wait until you are safely parked up.

‘Despite this, rational, intelligent people continue to text, make phone calls and check their social media accounts.’

Holding a mobile phone while driving is the second most prevalent reason for a driver to receive penalty points. More than 81,000 penalty point notices for using a mobile phone while driving were issued in the three years up to the end of last month.

Garda Assistant Commissioner David Sheahan said: ‘Any interaction with a mobile phone while driving is killer behaviour that affects your ability to drive safely and puts the user and others at risk.

‘It’s for this reason that An Garda Síochána continue to target this behaviour and, alarmingly, we have seen a 24% increase in drivers detected holding a mobile phone in 2019 versus 2018.’

He said motorists detected holding a mobile phone risk a fixed-charge notice of €60 and three penalty points. If a fully licenced driver gets 12 penalty points in a three-year period, they will be disqualified from driving for six months.

However, he said: ‘If you are a learner permit holder or novice driver and receive seven points in a three-year period, you will face a six months’ disqualification. We are calling on all motorists to save lives and keep their hands on the wheel and off the phone while driving.’

Using a mobile while driving makes you four times more likely to crash.

The RSA warns motorists that using a mobile distracts their eyes from the road, and even if they are not looking at the phone but are chatting to someone on it, they ‘look but do not see’.

Chatting on a phone also distracts a driver’s attention from the road, as they focus on the conversation.

Minister Ross said: ‘A 24% increase in detections for holding a mobile while driving is shocking but clearly the gardaí are working hard to stamp out the practice, and it should serve as a warning to those who refuse to listen.

‘Evidence shows that driver distraction is one of the major risk factors in causing road traffic collisions. When you use your mobile phone behind the wheel, taking your mind and eyes off the road for just a split second can destroy everything forever.

‘The message is put the phone away while driving and take extra care over the coming Easter Bank Holiday weekend.’

Toyota Ireland and the RSA have developed a free ‘Face It Down’ phone app that rewards drivers for putting their mobile face down when driving, allowing them to redeem the points for complimentary hot drinks and other incentives.

Eight people were killed and 63 seriously injured in Easter Bank Holiday crashes in the past five years. Two people were killed and 14 seriously injured over the Easter holiday last year. christian.mccashin@dailymail.ie