Gardai have issued a statement advising motorists that they are clamping down this weekend on the use of a mobile phone while driving.
“Distracted driving, such as using or holding a mobile phone whilst driving is a high risk activity for all road users and as such must be addressed.”
“Intercepting such distracted drivers will modify driver behaviour, thus making the roads safer for all road users,” An Garda Síochána said in the statement.
Almost 30,000 people were caught using their phone while driving in 2015. That’s an average of 76 people caught using their phones while driving each day.
The gardai advised drivers that it’s an offence to hold a phone in your hand while driving, or to support it with another part of the body, such as balancing it against your neck and shoulder. It doesn’t matter if the person is talking, texting or browsing the web.
This offence carries three penalty points and a hefty €80 fine.
“Distracted driving causes collisions, and using or holding a mobile phone whilst driving is a prime example of distracted driving. We are announcing that there will be a targeted operation taking place over the next few days, but not announcing the exact dates. This is to give people an opportunity to modify their behaviour and put away that mobile phone,” Chief Superintendent Aidan Reid said.