Smart Phones + Driving: What you need to know
We all know by now that texting and making calls on your mobile phone while driving is illegal and extremely dangerous, however the NZ law banning mobile phone use could catch you out.
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Many of us use our mobile phones as a means of satellite navigation, Sat Nav. It is pretty common to get in the car and a mile or so down the road to begin tapping in the destination address into your phone. However with much stricter laws in place, as of March 2017, it is important to know what drivers can and can’t do in regards to their smartphones.
Smart Phones in Cars – What You Need to Know:
Under the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 drivers can't use, while driving, a hand-held mobile phone (including PDA or BlackBerry) to:
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make, receive or terminate a telephone call
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create, send or read a text message or email
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create, send or view a video message
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communicate in a similar or any other way.
Penalties are an $80 fine and 20 demerit points against your driver’s license.
Drivers can use a mobile phone to make a call while driving only if it is an emergency situation and unsafe or impracticable to stop the vehicle to make the call.
What about using a hands-free dock?
The phone is to be secured in a mounting that is fixed to the vehicle and the driver is allowed to manipulate and look at the phone only infrequently and briefly. You are allowed to make and receive a call if you are using a hands-free kit, or if your mobile device is totally voice activated.
Tips for staying on the right side of the law when using your phone as a Sat Nav:
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Invest in a dock, holder or cradle to avoid handling the phone whilst driving
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Put your destination into your phone BEFORE you begin driving
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If you need to alter the route or re-programme the Sat Nav, pull over and do this somewhere safe.
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A holder that slips into the air vent is the best option (this avoids a potential obstruction of vision on the windscreen)
And if you are not planning on using your smartphone as a Sat Nav, whilst driving then the best advice is to put it out of sight. This avoids the temptation of looking at it while driving or feeling the need to respond to it in anyway.
Smart phones are part of our everyday lives, but we need to remember that they are not safe to use when driving.
If you’d like some more thorough information on driving in New Zealand, head along to the New Zealand Transport website (www.nzta.govt.nz).
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