Live streaming the new drunk driving?

COMEDIAN Mondli Mzizi manages to keep his multitudes of fans in stitches while on the road.

That he’s behind the wheel doesn’t stop him from interacting with them.

Mzizi was just one of many South Africans who were caught up in a dangerous trend of driving while live streaming and texting on social networks, placing themselves and other road users at risk.

Last month, a US teenager in California was accused of recording a live Instagram video of a deadly crash that she allegedly caused.

She had been live streaming while singing when she lost control of her car. Her sister, who was a passenger, died in the accident.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation said driving while distracted was a growing threat to road safety globally.

The minimum fine for using a hand-held phone while driving was R600. However, the law does not prohibit live streaming or hands-free usage of a phone.

Simon Zwane, spokesperson for the corporation, said it has been educating the public about the dangers of driving while distracted.

Steve Middleton, acting head of Durban’s Metro Police, said the law prohibits you from driving a car with a television receiver or visual display unit.

Mzizi said he had not been live streaming while driving. “I am always on the road, that’s why I sometimes communicate with my fans by live streaming. But I put my phone on the holder so that I can focus on the road,” he said.

Zoe Msutwana, publicist and chief executive of Guide Toceleb.com, said most celebrities were eager to have realtime engagement with their consumers and fans.