ftorres
27-May-2010, 11:17 PM
Quoted from Section 65B of Road Traffic Act
The law has three conditions in which ALL three must be fulfilled before the driver can be charged, therefore ensuring that the legislation would not apply to innocent drivers.
For the offence to stand,
i.The car must be in motion;
ii.The driver is holding on to the handphone in one hand; and
iii.The driver is communicating with somebody with the handphone. This includes making phone calls; paging for somebody; pressing the keypad to receive a call; reading, typing and sending SMS/MMS.
The traffic police will only take action against a driver who uses his handphone to communicate while driving and is a menace to other road users. This means that a driver holding on to a handphone but not using it to communicate with anyone will not be charged. Hence, all these 3 rules must be breached before the traffic police will take action.
Examples of phone-driving offenders
i.Reading, typing or sending SMS/MMS on the handphone while the vehicle is on the move;
ii.Making a phone call, even with hands-free kit, with the handphone in the hand and pressing the keypads; and
iii.Receiving a phone call, even with hands-free kit, with the handphone in the hand and pressing the keypads.
Penalties for usage of handphone while driving
All offenders, including those first-timers, will be charged in court from 1st of July 2000 onwards. All SIM cards and handphones will be seized by the traffic police to assist in investigations.
If convicted, the driver may face the following consequences:
i.12 demerit points
ii.A fine of up to $1,000 or/and imprisonment of up to 6 months
iii.Disqualified from driving
Ways to prevent yourself to be charged for phone-driving
i.Always use hands-free kit to answer all calls while driving (without the need to hold on to the handphone or hands-free kit)
ii.Do not read/type/send SMS when on the road
iii.Ask your passenger in your car to receive or make the phone call
iv.If you are driving alone, stop your car at a carpark or safe area before making a call or sending SMS
The law has three conditions in which ALL three must be fulfilled before the driver can be charged, therefore ensuring that the legislation would not apply to innocent drivers.
For the offence to stand,
i.The car must be in motion;
ii.The driver is holding on to the handphone in one hand; and
iii.The driver is communicating with somebody with the handphone. This includes making phone calls; paging for somebody; pressing the keypad to receive a call; reading, typing and sending SMS/MMS.
The traffic police will only take action against a driver who uses his handphone to communicate while driving and is a menace to other road users. This means that a driver holding on to a handphone but not using it to communicate with anyone will not be charged. Hence, all these 3 rules must be breached before the traffic police will take action.
Examples of phone-driving offenders
i.Reading, typing or sending SMS/MMS on the handphone while the vehicle is on the move;
ii.Making a phone call, even with hands-free kit, with the handphone in the hand and pressing the keypads; and
iii.Receiving a phone call, even with hands-free kit, with the handphone in the hand and pressing the keypads.
Penalties for usage of handphone while driving
All offenders, including those first-timers, will be charged in court from 1st of July 2000 onwards. All SIM cards and handphones will be seized by the traffic police to assist in investigations.
If convicted, the driver may face the following consequences:
i.12 demerit points
ii.A fine of up to $1,000 or/and imprisonment of up to 6 months
iii.Disqualified from driving
Ways to prevent yourself to be charged for phone-driving
i.Always use hands-free kit to answer all calls while driving (without the need to hold on to the handphone or hands-free kit)
ii.Do not read/type/send SMS when on the road
iii.Ask your passenger in your car to receive or make the phone call
iv.If you are driving alone, stop your car at a carpark or safe area before making a call or sending SMS