KEY POINTS:
The Transport Safety Minister says it is time to ban hand-held cellphones in cars, following a coroner's finding yesterday that a man was texting behind the wheel before a crash that claimed his life.
Levin coroner Phil Comber found that Andrew Kenneth Hicks was distracted by a series of cellphone text messages when he crashed into a power pole in Foxton on May 26. Mr Hicks died of head injuries as a result of the accident.
Constable Christopher Pelosi, of the Serious Crash Unit, agreed that Mr Hicks lost control of the car after being distracted by the text messages and eliminated speed, alcohol and mechanical failure as causes of the crash. Mr Hicks was not wearing a seatbelt.
Minister Harry Duynhoven said it was "tragic" to hear of Mr Hicks' death. Cellphones were a big part of young people's lives - "they just text people rather than talk to them".
"My personal point of view is that hand-held phones should be got rid of in cars ... it's pretty hard to believe that anyone would even think of texting while driving," Mr Duynhoven said.
A report on driver distractions, which include cellphones, was almost complete, he said.
Mr Comber said the use of hand-held mobile phones in cars was a "difficult and contentious issue" compounded by the popularity of texting, which was more distracting than simply talking on the phone.
"I do not pretend to have any answers as to this practice but the banning of hand-held telephones has been considered in other jurisdictions, some of which have legislated against their use at all by drivers of motor vehicles."
Mr Hicks' cellphone was found at the crash scene displaying the message "Where are you?", Mr Comber was told.
He ordered that his findings and the crash analysis be forwarded to Land Transport New Zealand for their consideration.
Land Transport Safety Authority spokesman Andy Knackstedt said international evidence and research showed a loss of concentration while on a mobile phone and driving, rather than physically holding a phone, posed a greater risk.
"The other issue that's relevant to texting is you can be - and people have been - charged under the current legislation for careless driving if they crash while they send a text."
Mr Knackstedt said anything which took a driver's focus off the task of driving - whether it was eating, smoking or changing a radio station - was included under this legislation.
At least four road deaths a year are estimated to be caused by cellphones, but police believe the figure is probably higher.
The most high-profile case of this type involved actor Cliff Curtis, who crashed into a house at Otaki while reading a text on his cellphone in 2004. He later said he agreed with a ban.
