Gardaí are powerless to prosecute drivers watching sports or movies on their phones while driving, a senior official confirmed yesterday, reports The Mirror.
Paula Hillman, Assistant Commissioner in charge of traffic police, said drivers were looking at their phones – but not holding them – but no offence had been committed.
A/C Hillman told an Independent Policing Authority meeting in Drogheda that Co Louth drivers can only be prosecuted if they are caught on the phone.
She said: “The offence is holding a mobile phone; what we’re seeing now is people watching, having FaceTime messages and calls, and people watching sport. There’s no offence of distracted driving so that is something we’ve raised at our partnership meetings because the offence is holding the mobile phone,” reports The Mirror.
The meeting also heard that the gardaí had caught 3,335 alleged drunk drivers this year – up from 3,400 over the same period in 2022.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Drew Harris said last night that forces were taking seriously an anonymous whistle-blower’s claim – first published in The Mirror earlier this month – that there was a crisis in the traffic police system.
We have released an anonymous letter sent to Garda leadership from a police member who said the traffic police system is not working – and many officers are not doing their jobs.
Mr Harris said the letter is currently being investigated as a protected disclosure – but officers needed more information from the whistle-blower, reports The Mirror.
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