Over 20 Fixed Charged Penalty Notices have been issued by Gardai in Donegal today to motorists how were using their mobile phone while driving.
A ‘National Day Of Action’ is underway today in relation to the use of mobile phones by drivers.
The penalty for using your phone while driving is a fixed charge of €120, and 3 penalty points. This increases to a fixed charge of €180 after 28 days, and 5 penalty points and a more significant fine can be imposed if it goes to court because of non-payment.
Gardai are reminding people that mobile phones are the number one distraction to drivers on Irish roads.
Despite the fact that using mobile phones while driving is killing people on our roads, people continue to text, make phone calls, take selfies or update their social media pages while driving.
Statistics show that making a call makes a driver four times more likely to be involved in a collision and texting makes a driver (23) times more likely to be involved in a collision.
Switch off before you drive off. Please place your phone into the glove box or out of reach so you will not be tempted to look at it or to use it while driving.