A habit we need to kick
Malta’s drivers paid a collective total of almost €1 million in fines for using their mobile phones while they were driving last year, figures tabled in Parliament show. The data shows that the authorities handed out a total of 9,599 contraventions connected to a driver using a mobile phone while they were driving. On Tuesday, the figures were tabled in Parliament by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri, in response to a Parliamentary Question asked by PN MP Ivan Bartolo. In previous years the total was far less.
Are the authorities clamping down or is our dangerous addiction worsening? We will leave that for you to decide. However, it can be universally acknowledged we are barely scratching the surface of the extent of the problem. Of course, the wardens and the police do not catch everyone committing this act. Right hand chatting on a mobile has become a norm. This is a poor excuse when in 2022 hands-free devices are readily available and have been for quite some time.
Do you want to ensure that you don’t become a part of this troubling statistic? Or better yet, do you want to stop your employees from becoming a part of it while they’re on the job working for you? You can take steps to limit phone distraction out on the road. Naturally, the first one is to keep your mobile nowhere near you to avoid any temptation. The absolute best way to prevent cell phone distraction is by installing an app on your phone that will render it useless while you’re driving. When you have an app like this, your phone will stay on in the car, but you won’t be able to access social media, work emails or call.
Many fleet owners adore working with apps like this because it makes their jobs easier. They don’t have to worry about pepping to their employees about staying off their phones when they’re driving because the apps take care of that for them. As an added bonus, some of these apps also allow fleet owners to keep tabs on their employees while driving. For example, they can monitor how fast they’re driving and where they’re located in real-time, which has proved incredibly popular in the UK.
Ultimately, what will make us learn our lesson? We cannot ignore such statistics. The fine for drivers caught using their mobile phones while driving currently stands at €100 after legal changes were instituted way back in 2015. Drivers are also penalised with three to six penalty points on their driver’s license. One cannot help but wonder, if these penalties were upped would it deter people from using their mobiles? Either way, government needs to think further about how we can decrease this issue, as there is a far higher price to pay.
At the end of the day, some have paid with their lives or with other’s.