ROADPOL Gets 42 000 Driving Phone-In-Hand

ROADPOL Gets 42 000

Driving Phone-In-Hand

Norway 2 Distraction while driving is an increasingly occuring phenomenon. PHOTO: ISTOCK14 OCT - 42.353 drivers were caught using a mobile device without a hands-free equipment while driving.

The data comes as a result of ROADPOL Focus On The Road Operation traditionally carried out during the annual flagship ROADPOL Safety Days campaign.

Operation

From 16 to 22 September 13 countries participated in this operation and checked for the prohibited use of mobile phones, other technical devices and other forms of distraction. The regulations about distraction in European countries vary, but in most of them using a mobile phone without a hands-free equipment while driving is forbidden. The police of the participating countries checked over 1.400.000 road users at more than 33.000 control spots where 124.952 different types of violations were found. 42.353 drivers used their mobile phone to call or text while driving without a hands-free equipment. 284 drivers used their device as a navigation system (also without hands-free equipment). In the Netherlands, for example, 1324 violations were caught by police officers and 3360 violations by the new technical enforcement tool MONO-cam. The device recognizes automatically if a driver is holding an electronic device in his/her hand and takes two pictures. The photos are always double checked by two police officers.

Forms

A large number of drivers, 10.633, were getting caught by other forms of distraction like watching TV/DVD, reading a newspaper or eating while driving (forbidden for the driver in Switzerland and Poland while transporting passengers).

henk Henk P. JansenObservations

“These numbers clearly show how important distraction controls are as there is an increasingly too many drivers distracted by technical equipment instead of paying attention to the road. In recent years distraction in road traffic has become one of the most common causes of collisions. The reason is drivers overestimate their own driving abilities while using a mobile device and make wrong assessment of traffic situations. This leads to serious traffic collisions”, ROADPOL Operational Working Group Secretary Henk P. Jansen of the Police in Netherlands commented.

The next planned ROADPOL operation is “Alcohol&Drugs” - from 5th to 11st December 2022.