Cellphone ban may not work
- safety expert

The government’s cellphone ban won’t work unless it actually changes driver behavior, says the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide.

Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson – whose road safety research was awarded by the Australian Police Journal – points to overseas research showing that teenagers, who are the most vulnerable road users – tend to ignore cellphone bans.

A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed the percentage of teens observed using cellphones in North Carolina actually increased five months after a ban went into effect in that state.
Teens ready to mute the ban on driving with cell phones

Instead of fining drivers who use handheld cellphones, Matthew-Wilson believes the police should have the power to temporarily seize cellphones being used by drivers while a vehicle is in motion.

Under Matthew-Wilson’s proposal, every police car would carry a pre-printed receipt book and a few pre-paid padded postal envelopes. Instead of issuing a ticket, the officer would instruct the offending driver to write his or her address onto the envelope. The officer would then place the cellphone into the envelope, seal it and drop the envelope into the nearest mailbox. The offender would get his/her cellphone back by registered mail in a few days.
The officer would also note the offender’s details, and after two offences the cellphone would be permanently seized.

Matthew-Wilson says that simply banning cellphones may not work because many users are prepared to risk a fine rather than miss a call. However, says Matthew-Wilson, most cellphone users would hate to lose their cellphone – even temporarily – and this fear would eventually modify their behavior.

“Cellphone use by drivers is banned in many countries, yet drivers continue to use their cellphones regardless. Clearly, we need to move beyond simply giving drivers tickets to taking their cellphones away.”

“What cars and cellphones have in common is that they give the owner freedom. Take away that freedom and you give drivers a powerful incentive to modify their behavior.”

ENDS

• The phonebook-sized _Dog & Lemon Guide is the world’s largest car buyers’ guide. dogandlemon.com

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