KEY POINTS:
Vodafone and Telecom say they would not oppose a ban on drivers using hand-held cellphones in cars.
This morning Prime Minister Helen Clark said the Government was ready to consider banning drivers using cellphones if the problem was big enough to warrant it.
Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven wants a ban, although he says it would be difficult to police.
Mr Duynhoven said a month ago he believed it was time for a ban because of the distraction caused by cellphones, particularly when used for texting.
He renewed his call yesterday after it was reported that police suspected Sharleen Lloyd, 16, of Ohope, eastern Bay of Plenty, had been texting before the car she was driving ran off the road into a parked trailer near Awakeri on Thursday.
She was killed instantly. Her boyfriend Matthew Smith, a passenger in the car, has serious injuries.
Vodafone New Zealand corporate responsibility manager Raphael Hilbron said the company would not fight a ban on hand-held phones for drivers.
"While mobiles in vehicles have considerable benefits, including the ability to call emergency services, using a mobile while driving distracts drivers and increases the risk of accidents," he said.
He said staff were not allowed to use hand-held phones but could use hands-free when it was safe to and this was also Telecom policy.
Vodafone did not have position on whether hands-free phones should also be covered by a ban, as most jurisdictions had not gone that far.
A Telecom spokesman told NZPA it shared Vodafone's position and it urged drivers to pull over to answer calls or send texts.
Both companies put out advice to that effect.
Several countries have banned hand-held cellphones while driving.
- NZPA
