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DESPITE THE fact that road fatalities are on the increase in 2013, motorists continue to stream into Enniscorthy’s busiest junctions using hand held mobiles at the wheel.
Though there were almost 80 fatalities on the country’s roads between January and May, drivers in Enniscorthy continue to flout the law.
The Echo spotted 20 drivers in just half an hour trying to negotiate busy traffic in the town with one hand on a phone and the other on the steering wheel.
One man was seen texting with his right hand while holding an ice cream with the other.
Sergeant Graham Rowley condemned the practice: “Driving with your phone is in the same category as drink driving and speeding.”
Chatting animatedly on their mobiles on a wet day at the weekend, the motorists seemed unaware of how hazardous their behaviour was.
A total of eight women and 12 men were noted making phonecalls in just 30 minutes, with the majority driving cars and lorries.
Additionally, seven people were spotted texting in the half hour, which presented further danger to fellow road users as drivers constantly looked down towards their laps.
Other drivers were spotted reading sheets of paper and even applying make-up in their mirror within the same timeframe.
Mobile phones make you four times more likely to crash, and it has been proven that driver distraction accounts for 20-30% of all road collisions.
Additionally, if the Gardai charge you, you will be fined €60 and receive two penalty points.
If you don’t pay the fine, you may be convicted in court, get four penalty points and charged €2,000.
Even using a bluetooth or hands-free system may lead to a fine if it causes reckless driving.
Sergeant Rowley told The Echo that although ‘nothing surprises him’ in relation to the number of mobile phone users spotted, he couldn’t stress the dangers enough.
“This impairs your driving and may have serious consequences,” he said. “It can easily lead to accidents – it’s one of the main factors for a crash.”
