The Road Safety Authority’s (RSA) Chair believes that stiffer penalties should be applied to drivers who are discovered using their phones while driving because the habit has “normalised,” reports RTE.
According to Liz O’Donnell, RSA observational surveys reveal that 9% of drivers are observed using handheld mobile phones while operating a vehicle.
Ms. O’Donnell asserts that their application is “much more widespread” nonetheless.
She explained that although there are now three penalty points for the violation here, there are six in Northern Ireland, reports RTE.
“You’d wonder whether the penalty points need to be increased to increase the fear of being caught and penalised,” said Ms O’Donnell, reports RTE.
Using a phone while driving is “one of the killer behaviours” and a “contributory factor to crashes,” according to her description.
Even though using a cell phone while driving has a penalty point system, according to Ms. O’Donnell, “it has become normalised”.
“Our view is that it should become stigmatised because it is a very, very dangerous activity,” she said, reports RTE.
“164 pedestrians in the last five years have been killed in Ireland, mostly in urban areas, and I believe some of that is down to distracted driving,” the RSA chair added, reports RTE.
The researcher mentioned focus groups in her research and stated, “We are getting to a stage where people are admitting to using their mobile phones, they see it as normal (and) they justify it,” reports RTE.
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