Woe unto you who uses the phone while driving

Jul 19, 2010

AS you drive upcountry for the weekend, you encounter a motorist whose driving is so jerky that you fear you might ram into his car. Then you want to overtake the motorist but he does not give you the sign that it is safe to overtake.

By Oyet Okwera

AS you drive upcountry for the weekend, you encounter a motorist whose driving is so jerky that you fear you might ram into his car. Then you want to overtake the motorist but he does not give you the sign that it is safe to overtake.

Finally, as you overtake the motorist is driving with one hand while the other is pressing a mobile phone against his ear.

Sarah Kibwika, the acting assistant commissioner of traffic Police, says jerky driving shows incompetence.

She adds that in a traffic jam, in case a motorist knocks another from behind, he is charged for not keeping distance while driving.

“The motorist in front and the one behind should be at least two metres apart,” Kibwika advises.

She says on the highway, drivers should drive with caution as some motorists may either be inexperienced or using vehicles that are not road worthy.

Charles Kyeyune, a bus driver, says many drivers break the law by driving while talking on the phone. Others even receive phone calls when they are speeding.

But what does the law say about drivers who talk on phone while driving?

Richard Komaketch of the traffic Police says: “You are not supposed to talk on phone whether you have stopped in a traffic jam or not.”

He advises motorists to use earphones if they really have to speak on phone while driving. Kibwika adds that one can easily get distracted while driving and talking on phone. According to Section 3 of the Traffic and Road Safety Regulation Act, a person shall not while driving a vehicle use a hand held mobile telephone.

You shall not use a mobile phone while instructing a learner driver. Kibwika says an instructor is regarded a driver at this point because the learner is depending on him.

Under traffic laws one pays a fine of five currency points not exceeding 10 currency points. You could also be imprisoned for a period not exceeding one year.

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