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Hang up
300 drivers caught using mobiles in space of 12 hours, as Gardaí launch new crackdown
A 48 hour enforcement campaign’s under way, ahead of the introduction of even stricter rules in the area next month.
6.45am, 25 Apr 2014
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ALMOST 300 DRIVERS were detected holding a mobile phone while driving between 12am and midday yesterday, according to Gardaí.
The force is carrying out a 48 hour enforcement drive, cracking down on the practice — and will be continuing to target motorists throughout today.
A similar campaign staged last month resulted in a 300 per cent increase in detections, compared to the average daily rate, gardaí say.
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The offence in question relates to “holding a mobile phone while driving”. This can be in the hand or supporting or cradling it with another part of the body. A person doesn’t actually have to be engaged in a conversation to be committing an offence.
Similarly, a driver texting or accessing the internet is also flouting the law if they’re considered to be holding the device. Anyone caught can be issued with two penalty points and a €60 euro fine.
Ne rules completely prohibiting texting while driving are set to come in at the start of next month, after Transport Minister Leo Varadkar signed regulation aimed at clearing up the law in the area.
Varadkar said that while you can’t operate a phone while behind the wheel, the law wasn’t 100 per cent clear as to whether that applied to sending a text or searching the web while the phone is in the cradle (ie: not being ‘held’).
Gardaí say the current crackdown will focus on existing legislation.
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@saoirse janneau: what a time to have an airlock in my radiators. Oil must have been nicked from my tank.. it seems it went from half full to empty in 4 weeks and I’m out Mon to Fri 9 to 5. Now I have oil and no radiators working :(
Next week could see significant snowfall in places. One of the Models took a step back this morning however. It will be bitterly cold with temps struggling to get above freezing during the day. If it snows it will be proper powdery not the wet shite we get from the Atlantic.
@phil: The year of the big snow in 1947 which I often heard the old people talking about, the snow didn’t hit till the end of February. Hopefully we’ll just have a light dusting.
The beast from the east. However most people don’t believe it. Can’t blame them. Lows of – 10 and heavy snow is predicted. Met office UK gave a 30 forecast other day which was laughable at best considering most reputable weather monitoring stations give ten day forecast.
@James O’Brien: they couldn’t get clarity 30 days especially after a ssw took place .peoole in east irl uk should prepare it’s going to get very messy this isn’t just 2 days this could last weeks last time we saw ssw was 2013 2010
It’s the Beast from the East!! Where’s Dwayne Johnson when you need him?? I think I’ll hedge my bets and wait and see what happens…. no panic buying on the tins of beans just yet.
I don’t get why February is considered spring in Ireland. To me it’s considered winter as in the rest of Europe. I don’t expect somewhat warmer conditions until March tbh.
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