Thousands of Kiwis still use phones while driving - do we need bigger fines?

Sunday, 22 December 2019

In Queensland, Australian motorists face huge fines for being on their phones while driving.

If you're caught texting and driving in Queensland you're fined a whopping $1000. In the UK, you could face jail. Is NZ too lenient? GEORGIA FORRESTER reports.

Despite laws making cellphone use while driving illegal, Kiwis are snapped every day doing it.

Drivers who are caught using their phones behind the wheel are slapped with an $80 fine, and also lose 20 demerit points.

Is that enough of a deterrent?

Distracted drivers are 'a problem police see time and time again', police Inspector Scott Webb says.

More than 26,000 mobile-phone related offences were committed by drivers in 2018 – that's more than alcohol-related driving offences. Those offences brought in more than $1.9 million in fines for the year.

Police catching drivers on their phones during a traffic operation in the Waikato.

* Texting and driving, with an unexpected outcome

* Put that cellphone down - we're driven to distraction

Getting snapped texting or checking your emails while on the road will cost you $80 and 20 demerit points. But is that enough change driver behaviour?

* Police disappointed after dozens caught using phones

* Queensland drivers will be fined $1000 for using phones**

FINES BEING REVIEWED

Compared to other countries, New Zealand's fine is very low and it's something the Government is reviewing.

Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter told Stuff the infringement fee for using a mobile phone while driving 'is light when compared to other offences which present a similar or lesser safety risk'.

The ministry is reviewing the appropriateness of transport-related infringement fees and fines as part of a broader fees and penalties review.

The NZTA is urging people to turn off their phones while driving this holiday season.

'This work will look at whether infringement fees and penalties are appropriate and proportionate to risk. This review will include the fees and penalties to do with cellphone use while driving.'

'I expect officials to provide me with further advice on this matter in the first half of 2020.'

UNITED KINGDOM

The UK increased the cost of their fines and how many points are taken from drivers in 2017.

Getting snapped using a cellphone while driving now costs NZ$402 (£200), as well as six penalty points. Drivers could also lose their licence if they haven't held it for two years or more.

Drivers can also be taken to court where they can be banned from driving or riding motorcycles.

New South Wales has rolled out mobile phone detection cameras to target drivers using their phones.

The maximum fine is NZ$2011 or $5028 for lorry or bus drivers.

In serious situations, people can even be handed down prison sentences.

In June, British woman Kerry White was jailed after posting a video to Facebook that she took while driving. The video showed a young boy dancing to music in the car while she drove in Scarborough.

She admitted dangerous driving and was given a 12-month driving ban, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment, the BBC reported.

In the past, people who have taken photos or filmed car crashes in the UK have managed to successfully appeal their driving convictions.

The Government is working on tightening this loop-hole, the BBC reported.

AUSTRALIA

Australia's penalties differ across states.

In Queensland, the current penalty for illegally using a phone while driving is $417 and three demerit points. But from February 1 2020, it'll increase to a whopping $1044 fine and four demerit points.

The Government's website states how research shows using a mobile phone while driving can be as risky as drink driving. The harsher penalty aims to deter people from the dangerous behaviour.

Many countries have tough penalties for people who use a handheld phone while driving.

The increased penalties mean that some licence holders, like learners and P-plates (similar to restricted licence), could lose their licence from just one offence.

The fine in New South Wales for illegal phone use is $359 or $477 if caught in a school zone. There's also a five demerit-point penalty for illegal mobile phone use.

In Victoria, the fine is $505 and with a four demerit-point penalty.

While in Western Australia, the fine is $417, with a penalty of three demerit points.

AMERICA

The laws around using hand-held phones while driving in America also varies between states. Some states have hand-held phone bans, while others have only partial phone bans.

California is one of the states where it's illegal to use your phone while driving. Drivers under the age of 18 are even prohibited from using their phones hands free.

The fines given out in California also vary in price. A law introduced in 2017, states that the base fine for an offence is $20 for a first offence, and $50 for each subsequent offence.

However after fees and penalty assessments are added to the base fine, the ticket will actually cost at least $160 for the first offence and at least $285 for the second offence.

In Missouri, texting and driving is only illegal for those aged under 21. While Montana is the only state that doesn't have a law restricting drivers from using their phones.

FRANCE

Driving and using your phone will earn you a $229 (€135) fine in France, and the loss of three demerit points. Drivers can get their licences confiscated if caught using their phones at the wheel.

In November, France adopted a Bill to improve the country's transport networks. The ability to confiscate a driver's license was added in an attempt to tackle risky driving.

CANADA

All of Canada's provinces have some form of cellphone or distracted driver legislation in place.

British Columbia and Saskatchewan prohibit young drivers from using both hand-held and hands-free devices.

In British Columbia, using your phone while driving can land you with a $624 fine and the loss of four demerit points. While two or more offences within a 12-month period can result in a three to 12-month licence suspension.

In Ontario, the type of penalty you face depends on the licence held. Distracted drivers who hold an A to G licence can be fined $748 for a first conviction, lose five demerits and be suspended from driving for three days.

But for a third conviction, that fine can range from $708 – $1150, six demerits and a 30-day suspension from driving.

PUT THE PHONE AWAY

Driving needs your full attention, and distracted drivers aren't safe drivers, the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) says.

NZTA safety, health and environment general manager Greg Lazzaro said driver distraction was often the initial factor in a longer chain of events that eventually lead to a crash.

'While there are a whole host of things that can take our attention away from driving, four of the top five most common distracted driving activities can now be done on a smart phone – texting, talking on a mobile phone, using a GPS or navigation system and adjusting music.'

Lazzaro recommended people turned their phones off while driving or used the 'Do Not Disturb While Driving' mode.