It is very painful to note that a good number of two and four wheeler drivers use mobile phones while driving. I have found their tribe is growing day by day particularly in the IT belt of Hyderabad.

Whether in the rush hour morning traffic or whether in the evening hours after a day’s strenuous work, they can be found using mobile phones on the road. It is a pity that they all know that the safest way of avoiding accidents, is not to use a mobile phone at all while driving.

Now, let us look at some recorded statistics.

In 2008, India recorded 130,000 deaths because of road accidents, which was 10 percent of the world’s total fatal accidents!

Use of mobile phone – talking and messaging included – while driving has been found to be the single most causative factor for these accidents. Most mobile phone related crashes happen when a person is answering an incoming call.

The users of mobile phones who do both talking/messaging and driving at the same time do not recognize the harm they do unto themselves and also to other road users. Researchers have found out that drivers are four times more likely to have an accident if they use a mobile phone on the road.

The best ways to follow in the use of mobile phones while driving are:

- Don’t talk or text when driving

- Let your voice mail pick up the call

- If you have a fellow passenger let that person answer mobile phone for you

- If you need to make or receive a call, pull into a safe area to do so

Though laws have been enacted banning use of mobile phones while driving still we find many violations. It is reported in the press that strict penal provisions in the Motor Vehicle Act are being contemplated like treatment of such mobile users while driving as offenders and cancellation of their driving license for six months.

In my view, the best way to proscribe use of mobile phones while driving is to disenable use of mobile phones while they are on the move. The operators of mobiles services can track such moving mobiles through appropriate technology before they are disserviced during the period of their movement.

Well. In such a case, the advertisements aired on the TV channels by some mobile operators like walk while you talk, may have to be withdrawn.

Or alternatively, these mobile operators can track such mobiles on the move and levy a penalty for each violation and pass on the same to the government agencies. This way the already stretched Police force need not look in for such offenders to book them.