77 per cent back cellphone ban while driving

Picture / Herald on Sunday

Most people believe using a cellphone while driving should be made illegal, a Herald-DigiPoll survey shows.

Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven supports the majority view and the Government is likely to tackle the issue next year.

"Driver distraction generally is a problem but cellphones in particular, you see it every day," Mr Duynhoven said. "You see people turning without indicating because they have one hand glued to their ear."

The survey found 77 per cent of people think cellphone use should be illegal while in control of a vehicle.

At least four road deaths a year are estimated to be caused by cellphones, but police believe the figure is probably higher.

Actor Cliff Curtis, who crashed into a house at Otaki while reading a text on his cellphone last year, said he agreed with a ban.

An Automobile Association survey of members found the top cause of near-misses was loss of attention.

The Ministry of Transport has spent more than a year investigating cellphone use in cars and other "inside-the-vehicle" driver distractions such as map-reading, tuning the radio, eating, drinking and smoking.

Police have proposed a new traffic offence that would cover the distractions.

Nearly 70 per cent of respondents to the poll agreed that an offence of driving while distracted should cover such things as reading a map (88.7 per cent) and putting on make-up (89 per cent).

Asked if the offence should cover tuning a car radio, 59.9 per cent said it should and 40.1 per cent disagreed.

The ministry report on driver distraction, including the use of cellphones, will go to the Government early next year.

Mr Duynhoven also proposed this week tougher penalties for drivers who pass on double yellow lines and run red lights and called for licences to be immediately suspended, a view supported by the police.

Asked about the driving age, respondents said it should be increased from 15 - 52 per cent said people should be 18 before driving and 27 per cent said the age should be 17.

The ministry says it is exploring options for further tightening up the requirements for learner and restricted licence-holders.

In 2004, there were 184,291 drivers aged under 20, with the majority, 80,828, holding learner licences and 63,910 on restricted conditions.

These made up 7 per cent of drivers and accounted for just over 12 per cent of drivers involved in fatal accidents and 14 per cent of serious injury crashes.

Mr Duynhoven said although he felt the driving age was too low, many people lived in country areas with no access to public transport "and that is a good reason to look very seriously at the driving age".

"I think it is something the public need to think about and the politicians need to think about as well, but there is no policy to raise the driving age."

Automobile Association motoring policy manager Jayne Gale said the AA did not back lifting the age of starting on the path to a full driver licence.

But it would like to see the age when a person can obtain his or her restricted licence increased to at least 16 1/2 to give teenagers more driving supervision.