Vol. 414 No. 9
88 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Justice the number of people who have been prosecuted for using a mobile telephone while in control of a motor vehicle; whether there are any indications that use of hand-set mobile telephones by drivers have contributed to motor accidents; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I refer the Deputy to my answer to a similar question put down by him on 17 April of this year. As I stated at that time, there is no specific provision under the road traffic laws prohibiting the use of car telephone units by drivers of moving vehicles although the use of these devices in moving vehicles may on occasion give rise to breaches of the law, such as dangerous driving and driving without care and attention. Where such breaches are detected by the Garda, the individuals concerned are prosecuted in accordance with normal procedures. Because of the way statistics are maintained it is not possible to indicate the number of prosecutions which resulted from the use of car telephone units in moving vehicles.
