New road safety regulations will see drivers who are caught “accessing information” on mobile phones facing increased penalties and a compulsory court appearance from today.
There is yet another reason to never EVER text and drive as new road safety regulations brought in by the Department of Transport will see offenders facing a mandatory court appearance and a fine of up to €1,000 for a first offence.
This means that drivers caught using mobile phones to text, email or access other media, even if the device is in a cradle or hands-free kit, will receive a summons and fine instead of receiving the usual penalty points.
In case there’s any confusion, it WILL NOT be an offence to use a mobile phone for calls, once the device is in a cradle or hands-free kit. So you can still chat to the missus on the drive home, but you won’t be able to mail her that hilarious cat meme you saw in the office earlier that day.
According to RTÉ.ie, “The fine rises to a maximum of €2,000 for a second offence and a third offence within 12 months could bring a possible three-month prison sentence on top of the €2,000 fine.”
While it was already illegal to text and drive, the new regulations are being brought in to close up a loophole that allowed drivers to escape fines and penalties if they were caught texting while their phone was in a cradle.
So the next time you decide to text your mates while sitting in traffic, just ask yourself: “Is it worth it?” It certainly wouldn’t hurt to watch this excellent documentary too…
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
