The federal traffic police will carry out this operation in collaboration with 110 local police zones. For 48 hours, checks targeting, among other things, the use of mobile phones while driving will take place throughout the country.
The use of the telephone while driving is not the only cause of distraction, observes the police. Other behaviours, such as putting on make-up, cutting their nails or even trying to find their lunch box, contribute to distracting drivers and preventing them from maintaining full control of their vehicle at all times.
According to studies, between 5 and 25% of road accidents are due to distracted driving. Placing your mobile phone in a support intended for this purpose is the only acceptable way to use the device (for example as a GPS) when driving, insists the police.
She recalls that this recommendation has moreover recently become a legal obligation and that it is therefore forbidden to take regular glances at a mobile phone in the passenger seat. The use of such a device also now constitutes a third degree offence, with an amount of immediate collection increased from 116 to 174 euros. This collaboration between the federal and local police follows an action carried out on a trial basis, and successfully, last fall.