13 Nov 2013 from Benalla Ensign By Kaitlin Thals MOBILE LAW WELCOMED Benalla Highway Patrol Leading Senior Constable Larry Piscioneri remembers the incident vividly. Leading Sen Const Piscioneri has nabbed 200 drivers in two years for illegally using their mobile phone across the Benalla Police Service Area. He said this driving offence was one he was passionate about — because the consequences of driver distraction could be deadly. At the end of the month Victorian drivers will be stung with tougher penalties for the illegal use of a mobile behind the wheel. Leading Sen Const Piscioneri welcomes the new laws that will be introduced by the Victorian Government on November 25. ‘‘People are just too complacent with the use of a mobile phone while they’re driving — it’s almost an epidemic,’’ Leading Sen Const Piscioneri said. ‘‘I’ve attended a fatal where there’s half a text message still on the screen. ‘‘I think if they (drivers) were aware of the dangers or had firsthand experience of the results of it, I’d be pretty sure they would appreciate the laws.’’ The new changes mean that drivers caught using a mobile phone will face a $433 fine (up from $289) and the loss of four demerit points, up from three points. The total ban on mobile phone use is being extended from P1 drivers on red P-plates who are in the first year of their probationary licence, to P2 drivers on green P-plates. This includes years two, three and four of holding a probationary licence. Leading Sen Const Piscioneri said P-platers were being targeted in the sweeping new changes because they were the most vulnerable road users and could face extra challenges having grown up with mobile phones. ‘‘People were so blaz´ e about drink driving 20-30 years ago, but driver attitudes (towards drink driving) have changed now,’’Leading Sen Const Piscioneri said. ‘‘This is the new challenge for this generation, it’s about driving the message home about how dangerous mobile phones are. They are just a total distraction, texting, reading screens, it’s that split second — a lot can happen in a split second. ‘‘The worse-case scenario is a fatality, whether it be them or someone else. No collision is pretty, and you can suffer the effects of a car crash for the rest of your life; if someone manages to get out of a serious collision, not only is their quality of life diminished but their life expectancy could be, too.’’ Victorian Roads Minister Terry Mulder said last week these were some of the most significant changes to the road rules in many years and reflected the growing problem of driver distraction — which could result in death and injuries on the state’s roads. Mr Mulder said 70 per cent of young and middle-aged drivers reported using a mobile phone some of the time while driving. He said 88 per cent of young drivers using mobile phones reported reading text messages, and 77 per cent reported sending text messages. Sixty per cent of middle-aged drivers reported reading texts and 51 per cent reported sending them. Leading Sen Const Piscioneri encouraged drivers to install a bluetooth or handsfree device into their vehicles. ‘‘It’s going to be cheaper than a fine,’’ he said. Mr Mulder said any driver caught using a mobile phone illegally risked accruing one-third of the 12 demerit point threshold for a ‘‘single, stupid act’’. ‘‘P-platers will risk hitting their five demerit point limit. We are making no apologies for this because we know that these acts can, and have, caused deaths and injury on our roads,’’ he said. Mr Mulder said that P2 drivers, those in the second, third and fourth years of having their licence, would no longer be allowed to use a mobile phone while driving — which included using a hands-free device while driving or when stationary at traffic lights. ‘‘The message clearly isn’t getting through, which is why we are making the fines and penalties even tougher,’’ Mr Mulder said. The increased mobile phone penalties and changes to the rules for probationary drivers is one of the key initiatives in Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy (2013-2022) and Victoria ’s Road Safety Action Plan (2013-2016), announced in March 2013. Victoria Police, Transport Accident Commission , VicRoads and the Department of Justice is working together to bring down the road toll.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 02:36:07 +0000
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