Info drive continues amid Adda suspension
DESPITE the suspension of the Anti-Distracted Driving Act (Adda) for possible amendments of its implementing rules and regulations (IRR), the regional office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO 11) will still proceed with their information campaign while it is put on hold.
Yuri Lim, team leader of LTO’s law enforcement section, said yesterday that they will take advantage of the suspension of its enforcement as a platform to intensify their education, information, and communication (IEC) campaign to the motorists in Davao region.
“The same pa rin po ‘yong stand ng region. We will consume the three months period for the information and education campaign,” he said.
By August, he looks forward to appropriately inform the public on its provisions to prevent the rise of violators.
Under the law, Adda prohibits drivers of any public and private vehicles from using communication devices and other electronic, entertainment and computing gadgets while driving or while temporarily stopping in intersections of traffic lights.
It has become controversial after the proponents banned display of accessories deemed distracting such as bobble heads, rosaries, and figurines on vehicle dashboards.
Lim cited that while the vehicle is in motion or temporarily stopping for the red light, drivers are prohibited to write, send, or read a text-based communication or to make or receive calls, and using an electronic entertainment or computing device to play games, watch movies, surf the Internet, compose messages, read e-books, perform calculations, and other similar acts.
However, there are also exemptions where it might be permissible like using a mobile communications device that is not distracted driving if done through a hand-free function such as with a speaker phone, earphones, or similar devices, which allow a person to have calls without holding the device through Bluetooth as long as it would not interfere the line of sight of the driver.
Aside from those, instances where motorist makes emergency calls to a law enforcement agencies to report crimes, incident, terrorist attack and infra failure that involve public safety are allowed.
Corresponding penalties awaits its violators. First time and second time violators will be fined P5,000 and P10,000 respectively, while third time violators will be penalized with a P15,000 fine and suspension of driver’s license for three months, while fourth time offenders will be fined P20,000 with revocation of their licenses.