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Mobiles seen as looming cause of road deaths
The use of mobile phones while driving could form a large component of the fatal road accidents caused by driver drowsiness and distractions, police said.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Traffic) Ajith Rohana said while it was difficult to find evidence that use of mobile phones while driving or riding caused particular road deaths they are certain there is a strong link.
They said dangers from using mobiles, even hands-free phones, in sending and reading messages, dialling and answering calls, was equal to the danger of driving under the influence of alcohol. The crash risk is four times higher even with hands-free phones.
Although police have introduced a spot fine for mobile phone use while driving it is hardly implemented. The Chairman of the National Council for Road Safety, Dr. Sisira Kodagoda, said even if drivers are caught in the act police do not take the offence seriously and let offenders go with a slap on the wrist.
“Most often they are just asked to refrain from using the phone,” he said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the problem is not taken seriously in many countries with no data being collected on crashes involving mobile phones.
It said the issue posed a serious threat to road safety, with the introduction of in-vehicle communication systems exacerbating the problem.
It recommends that more work be done to systematically collect mobile phones in road crashes to determine the extent and distribution of the problem.
Using phones while driving is a cognitive distraction and creates an huge impact on driving behaviour, causing drivers to take their eyes off the road, hands off the steering wheel and mind off the road and surrounding situation, the WHO said.
Drivers will take longer reaction times to brake and respond to traffic signals and find it difficult to keep within lanes and a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.
The WHO recommends new legislative measures, creative ways of enforcement, a degree of regulation of mobile phone industry and a change in societal perception on acceptable behaviour at the wheel.
In July 2018, police increased the number of actionable traffic offences from 23 to 33 with fines in repeated offences raised from Rs. 500 to Rs.1,000 and a massive Rs. 25,000 threatened for seven major traffic offences including drink driving. A fine of Rs. 1,500 can be slapped on motorists using mobile phones while driving or riding a motor bike.
Professor. Samath Dharmaratne of the Medical Faculty of the University of Peradeniya, who has carried out extensive research on road accidents, said five out of every 10 accidents carry fatalities.
He said it was important that mobile phones of drivers involved in a crash be checked with the service providers to determine whether the driver was on a call at the time of accident.
He believes one way of dealing with bad drivers is by refusing insurance cover for their vehicles. He suggests a point system that would demerit bad drivers. Also, he says, when insuring cars the drivers should be named and their insurance premium determined on their credibility.
A member of the Advisory Committee of Internal Transport, Rohan Abeywickrema, said the entire structure of vehicle insurance needs to be overhauled as it currently contributed to road accidents.
Even in major accidents insurance agents do not claim damages from the driver at fault but will bear the cost of repairs and write off the no-claim bonus of their client, he said.
“This is very unfair as it might not be that driver’s fault. In other countries there is a clause called the no-fault claim and insurance companies negotiate between them when accidents,” he said.