Police want ban on using mobile phones while driving

Police want a new law to catch "distracted" drivers who take their mind off the road.

The "driving while distracted" offence would include cellphone use and cover habits such as reading a map, putting on make-up, changing a CD and tuning the radio.

At least four road deaths a year are estimated to be caused by cellphones, but police believe the figure is probably higher.

Actor Cliff Curtis last year admitted he was texting when he crashed into a house in Otaki, and police are investigating whether cellphone use caused a fatal crash in Auckland.

An Automobile Association survey of members found the top cause of "near-misses" on the road was loss of attention.

Police have proposed a new offence of "driving while distracted" - likely to be a traffic infringement punishable by fine - but the idea has yet to reach the Government.

Inspector John Kelly, manager operations, road policing support, said such things as using a cellphone, women putting on make-up and men shaving, reading books and looking at maps could be "quite a major distraction".

Changing CDs and tuning the radio could be minor distractions that caused an accident.

At present police can lay a careless driving charge where there is evidence a person was not controlling a vehicle.

Under a driving while distracted law, police could ticket them for doing any number of things that take concentration off driving.

Mr Kelly said he believed that most drivers would accept a new law designed for road safety.

Police also "might be quite keen to see it but we haven't got the law and we don't know when it will come".

Ministry of Transport officials are considering the offence among a number of potential options.

"Internal discussions between the Ministry of Transport, police and Land Transport NZ are still in progress and it's probably premature to comment before the options are finalised," a spokeswoman for the ministry said.

Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven said last night that he was unable to comment on the proposal until he was briefed by police.

He noted that they could already charge people for driving without due care and attention.

"But clearly, if the police think they need more power, they have got some problem which I am sure they will want to talk to me about."

Automobile Association motoring policy manager Jayne Gale said the AA would prefer an education campaign before a law change.

"If there was an offence of distraction at this stage of people's understanding, it would just get their backs up."

Auckland Motorways police manager Inspector Dave Walker said drivers were often seen reading the newspaper, shaving, putting on make-up and eating their breakfast behind the wheel.

"We've had lady drivers doing their make-up as they're driving down the motorway and they've been brought to the attention of the officer because the vehicle's not driving a straight path. Yeah, we've had some crazy things."

Police say a couple were recently discovered having sex while driving over the Harbour Bridge, and officers have stopped people who were receiving oral sex while driving.

Mr Walker said 45 per cent of accidents - or 2572 - on Auckland's motorways last year were nose-to-tail crashes often caused by driver inattention.

An impromptu survey by the Police Association magazine Police News found that 43 out of 600 drivers were using cellphones while driving in central Wellington in the mid-afternoon. It said 25 per cent of them ignored a stop sign and one went over a median barrier while texting.

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