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Drivers fined for phone use
06Feb07
MORE than 60 people were issued with fines for using their mobile phones while driving on roads in the Hills during the Australia Day weekend.
During Operation Safe Return, the Hills local area command (LAC) issued 130 fines as a result of conducting 1382 stationary random breath tests and 302 mobile breath tests.
Of those tests 52 people were fined for speeding, four people had their licences suspended, three defective vehicles were detected, five people were charged with drink driving and one for not wearing a seat belt.
Hills highway patrol sergeant Tim Jones said although the statistics were generally low he was still concerned about the number of novice drivers who continue to drink and drive, speed and use mobile phones.
``In a recent study, speeding is the most common factor within the Hills LAC as a cause of vehicle crashes with using mobile phones while driving as second,'' Sergeant Jones said.
``Males between the ages of 20 and 29 who live in the area are the main offenders caught for drink driving.
``This concerns me when most are consuming alcohol in the area and driving when there is a vast number of options available to them at licensed premises such as courtesy buses.''
