Greg Murphy argues that 'draconian' laws need to be put in place to curb cellphone use while driving.
Western Bay police are promising to crack down on drivers who continue to flout the ban on using mobile phones after more than 600 were caught in the act this year.
Police have long said that the illegal use of a cellphone was a contributing factor in many injury-causing roadcrashes.
So far this year 640 drivers have been fined for the illegal practice on Western Bay of Plenty roads, resulting in fines totalling $49,680, according to the most recent road policing data available.
This was despite streets emptying during the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown from March 25 to April 26.
This compared to 606 drivers caught in the whole of 2019. Fines totalled $3440 less than in 2020 so far.
The number of drivers caught flouting the mobile phone ban in the Western Bay of Plenty police district has risen by 74 per cent compared to 367 drivers in 2014.
Each driver caught also incurred 20 demerit points. Any driver who accumulates 100 demerit points in any two year period will have their licence suspended for three months.
Another 568 drivers were ticketed for not wearing a seat belt during the same nine month period this year, receiving fines totalling $82,200.
More than 600 drivers have been caught by police on Bay roads this year. Photo / File
Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Rob Glencross said it was "very disappointing" given efforts by police and road safety partners to drive home the message of how dangerous the illegal practice was.
"Some people are their own worst enemy. They become easy pickings for us when they draw attention to themselves by not doing the right things."
Glencross said making a call or texting while driving just "crazy" when there was the Bluetooth hands-free option available.
"No text or phone call can be that important. If it's an emergency then people should pull over and deal with it, rather than put other road users at risk," he said.
While the law allows the use of hands-free phones, they must be completely voice-activated or securely mounted and operated infrequently.
Glencross said the monetary penalties were irrelevant to police.
"It's crazy that some people are yet to get the message that they need to put their phone away and focus 100 per cent on their driving ... Our enforcement measures are all about preventing people being a danger to themselves and other road users.
Monetary penalties from those caught using their phone were irrelevant to police, Glencross said. Photo / File
"If people are tempted they should turn their phone off or put it in the boot."
"If you're driving at 100km/h why would you think it's also okay to use your cellphone ... the chance of running up the back of another vehicle or veering off the road is very high.
"So far this year there have been 17 deaths from 16 crashes on Western Bay roads and every one of those deaths was preventable. That's 17 people who never made it home to their loved ones," he said.
"I cannot say how many of those crashes involved drivers using their cellphones. But we know that drivers being distracted by mobile phones and people not wearing seat belts are prominent factors in a number of serious injury crashes each year."
He said police would be focussing on those factors as part of their summer enforcement efforts.
Police have handed out more than $2.2m in infringement notices to 29,261 drivers nationwide caught flouting the mobile phone law so far this year.
That's more than 8100 more drivers than in 2014.
Director of Brake New Zealand Caroline Perry labelled the issue as frustrating. Photo / File
Caroline Perry, director of Brake New Zealand, said: "It's frustrating to see so many drivers are still putting their lives and the lives of others at risk by using a mobile phone at the wheel.
"Driving is a complex task, and the riskiest thing many of us do on a regular basis, it requires your full concentration. The evidence is clear that using a mobile phone at the wheel increases your risk of being involved in a crash.
Perry said Brake New Zealand urged all drivers to keep their phone off, or on silent and out of reach while driving.
"It's also disappointing that there are still drivers and passengers who aren't wearing seatbelts. Wearing a seatbelt is the simplest thing you can do to help reduce your risk of being killed or seriously injured if you're involved in a crash.
"Ensuring all your passengers are wearing seatbelts, and children are in age-appropriate child seats, could help to save their life."
