Don’t drive and use your mobiles

MOBILE telephones have revolutionised our lives.
Not only in Papua New Guinea but, also in almost every nation in the world, has this small technological device become one of the fastest-selling and most-popular commodities among everyone, even those in the remotest rural areas.
Between July and September this year, manufacturers reported 417 million phones were sold globally – an increase of 35% from the same period last year.
And we can see why it is becoming so popular.
Mobile phones allow
us to talk any time to our friends, relatives, loved ones, business clients and just about anyone else at the touch of a button.
We are able to keep abreast of the latest news. And those who have the facility can even surf the internet on their mobiles and receive emails while miles away from a computer or an office.
It is small, multifunctional and very easy to use.
And for many of us, it is affordable. The competition among the various manufacturers in the mobile phone market has, to some extent, made that possible.
The mobile phone has become such an integral part of our everyday lives that it is difficult to imagine how we ever managed without it.
Of course, we don’t have to.
The mobile is here to stay with all the many benefits it has brought us. And the technology promises still more wonders in the not-too-distant future.
But, inevitably, as with all those wonderful benefits come a few problems.
Because a phone is ringing, we – or most of us – have the impression that it must be answered regardless of where we are or what we are doing. And that can be dangerous.
There is emerging evidence that the use of mobile phones could be a contributing factor in road accidents, for example.
There are laws in Papua New Guinea against using mobile phones while driving a vehicle but they appear to be, at best, randomly enforced and, at worst, completely ignored.
It is difficult to control a motor vehicle with one hand, particularly on our roads here in PNG.
It is very difficult to maintain the required concentration while conducting a conversation with someone at the other end of a telephone. There is evidence that accidents have occurred in this way.
That is not the fault of the mobile phone. It is the fault of the user.
For while hands-free attachments are available for most, if not all mobile phones, many of us find them an expensive extravagance and continue to chat away while driving with one hand.
As we have seen, this can be dangerous.
And, if people refuse to be more responsible in the use of this marvel of modern technology, it is time for the authorities to encourage them to be so.
The laws already exist; they simply need to be enforced. The PNG police or the National Road Safety Council are supposed to be monitoring and enforcing this.
On that note, it is encouraging that the police plan to make talking on the phone and driving an offence under the Summary Offences Act.
National Capital District-Central commander Francis Tokura says police blame a good number of accidents on city roads on people talking on their mobile phones while driving.
That same plan should be enforced in other municipalities and provinces. And, urgently too as we approach the busy festive season when a lot of people will be using the roads travelling to their holiday destinations.
A simple advice to save your life and of others: The next time you receive a call while driving, it is best to find a safe place to pull over before answering. Better still, reach the end of your journey and then call back.
And if you drive a taxi, PMV bus, minivan or other public service vehicles, have someone with you to answer for you or leave your mobile phone at home.
Mobile phones have brought much to our lives – but we need to use them and not be used by them.