Cell Phone Related Car Accidents Rise

Those talking on a cell phone while driving cause up to 20 per cent of all car accidents in Serbia, according to the Serbian Traffic Police.


The use of cell phones in cars will be regulated by new legislation, the Law on Safety in Traffic, which is to come into force on December 10, national broadcaster Radio Television Serbia, RTS, reported Monday.

Traffic laws dealing with the use of cell phones while driving, were adopted five years ago in EU countries.

Some EU member states allow drivers to talk on the phone through hands-free devices. The use of cell phones by drivers is totally forbidden in Portugal and Spain.

RTS reports that hands-free devices are not selling as well as expected, but that sales are expected to pick up in autumn along with the adoption of the new law.

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institut, has completed a national study on cell phone use and driving distractions that adds to the mounting body of evidence that driving while dialling, talking or texting is dangerous, if not deadly.

The survey shows that if you text while driving you are 23 times more likely to have an accident, while the risk of accidents when speaking on the phone is six times greater.

Under the new Serbian law, punishments for using a cell phone during a ride will be over €60 if drivers are caught on the spot. The higher fines (€90-250) and imprisonment (5-10 days) might be imposed where a driver is involved in a cell phone related accident.

Serbian Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjic has said that many recent car accidents in Serbia were caused through the poor state of the country's roads. The minister added that over €600 million will be doled out for road maintenance, in order to improve safety on highways and regional and local roads across the country.

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