When common sense fails to kick in, the law steps in.
“Senate Bill No. (SBN) 3211 known as the Anti-Distracted Driving Act — a bill that would prohibit and penalize ‘distracted driving,’ or the practice of using phones and engaging in other activities while driving a motor vehicle — was approved by the Senate on third and final reading on Mon, May 30,” reports Maila Ager on Inquirer.net.
Senator Sergio “Serge” Osmeña III, acting chairman of the Senate committee on public services, explained that the bills aims “to safeguard the public from the ruinous and extremely injurious effects of vehicular accidents.”
Under the bill, “distracted driving” is defined as performing any of the following acts while driving a vehicle in motion or stopped for a red light: “using a mobile communications to write, send, or read a text-based communication or to make or receive calls,” along with “using an electronic entertainment or computing device to play games, watch movies, surf the Internet, compose messages, read e-books, perform calculations, and other similar acts.”
Once the bill is enacted into law, violators will be fined PHP15,000. Individuals who commit their third offense will have their drivers’ licenses confiscated.
The report noted: “The proposed measure would not apply, however, to people ‘using mobile phones for emergencies, including calls to a law enforcement agency, healthcare provider, fire department, or other emergency services, agency or entity,’ or to people ‘using mobile phones while operating vehicles providing emergency assistance,’ such as ambulances or fire trucks.”
