|
The Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) said it
is calling for an absolute ban on the use of cell phones while
driving a motor vehicle, regardless of whether the phone is
hand-held or not. The AAP said the increased reliance on cell phones
has led to a rise in the number of people who use them while
driving. The AAP noted that according to the National
Telecommunications Commission, the number of mobile phone
subscribers in the Philippines has soared from over 22.5 million in
2003 to over 52.3 million in 2007.
At the same time, the AAP pointed
out that in the National Statistics Coordination Board’s (NSCB)
fact sheet on traffic accidents that occurred in the Philippines in
2006, cell phone use while driving ranked as the 12th leading cause
of traffic accidents. From 2001 to 2006, traffic accidents caused by
using cell phones while driving increased more than five times, the
highest increase among the causes of traffic accidents, the AAP
said, citing the NSCB figures.
At a recent Senate hearing on
road safety, AAP said its director and Road Safety Committee member
David Arcenas presented the national auto club’s position paper on
the issue, appending several studies on which AAP based its decision
to propose a ban on the use of cell phones. The studies were
conducted by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
Australia’s Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, Carnegie Mellon
University and the University of Utah, the AAP bared.
The AAP added that over 40
countries, states or cities worldwide restrict or ban the use of
cell phones while driving. These places include Australia, Denmark,
France, South Korea and Japan. Washington became the first US state
to ban Driving While Texting in May 2007 and New Jersey passed a
similar law in March 2008 with a $100 fine while New Delhi, India,
has banned the use of cell phones while driving.
The AAP cited Manila was one of
the first cities in the world to issue a ban when the Metro Manila
Development Authority in March 1997 prohibited the use of cell
phones and hand-held radios while driving. Makati and Cebu have also
imposed the same ban, the AAP said, as it observed that the ban is
not strictly enforced.
The AAP noted the ban proposed by
Senate President Manuel Villar is not absolute because it allows
motorists to use a cell phone if this has a hands-free device.
|
