Dublin-based gardai were on patrol today when a driver was found to be using their phone while in motion.
After officers pulled the motorist over, it was found that they also were displaying the wrong insurance disc on the car.
Due to the fact that they were in breach of Irish road laws, the vehicle was seized on the spot.
In a post on social media, officials confirmed that: “Gardaí in Rathfarnham stopped this driver for holding a phone whilst driving.
“Upon inspection, Gardaí found the insurance disc displayed was for a different car.
“The vehicle was seized.”
The public is reminded that it is an offence to hold a mobile phone in your hand or to support it with another part of your body (for example, between your head and shoulder) while driving.
The only exception for using your phone while operating a vehicle is if you are calling emergency services on 999 or 112.
You can legally talk on your phone using a hands-free system, but the Road Safety Authority advises very strongly against this.
The penalty for using your phone while driving is a fixed charge of €60, and 3 penalty points.
This increases to a fixed charge of €90, and 5 penalty points if it goes to court because of non-payment.
According to An Garda Siochana, research shows that you are four times more likely to crash if using a handheld phone while driving.
Texting, using social media, or messaging increases the risk substantially to yourself and other road users.
Speaking on the subject, Sam Waide, Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority said: "If you take your eyes off the road for just one second, a car moving at 50km/h will travel 14 metres - that’s approximately four car lengths.
“That is 14 metres where a driver is not paying attention to the road.
“Taking a call, sending a text or checking your apps while driving is dangerous behaviour which could result in catastrophic consequences for you or some other road user. So put the phone away, it is not worth the risk.
“Nothing is that urgent that it cannot wait until you are safely parked up. If you know someone is driving, avoid phoning them, it can wait until later.”
