Barbadians appear to be in favour of the new cellphone law, which makes driving while using a cellphone an offence.
The legislation, which can see an offender being fined $2 000 and/or imprisoned for 18 months, is part of the amended Road Traffic Act proclaimed December 11 and published in the Official Gazette on December 28.
Given the way people weighed in on it on social media yesterday, it was clear it was not widely known that the law was in place.
When the DAILY NATION sought the view of drivers in the Warrens, St Michael area yesterday afternoon, the consensus was that not only was it necessary, but long overdue in getting Barbadians to where countries across the world had been for several years.
Esther Barrow-Estwick did not hesitate to share her agreement with the new regulations.
“I totally agree with it 100 per cent because people concentrate on just talking and it causes a lot of accidents,” she said.
Andrew White described the use of cellphones while driving as a “distraction”, and said that drivers sometimes did not see when people were coming out of side roads. He was hoping his fellow motorists would now focus more on driving.
Montage Deane said she was only made aware of it via social media and needed to learn more about it, but the law was a way to help reduce the number of accidents.
“Once you are engaged in a conversation, you could lose concentration and ignore signs, stop lights, whatever. It’s dangerous,” she added.
Janelle Rogers said she had seen people with phones to their ears doing “foolishness”.
“I think it’s good. I don’t really see an issue regarding it. There are a lot of people who do a lot of foolishness, especially when they’re distracted by using a cellphone,” she noted.
A retired police officer, who said he had been itching to do something about drivers on cellphones, made it clear the law was “long overdue”.
“People are inattentive when they’re using the cellphone and it causes distractions. I believe that with this you would lessen the number of accidents. I am sorry that I can’t do something about it with the foolishness that I see. I salute today,” he said, adding that walkers who used cellphones were compromised as well.
He expressed confidence in the ability of the police to enforce the law.
One woman who did not give her name doubted that people would be deterred.
“If I see it happening, then people will start to take it seriously . . . . Let me see people going to court. Then the next time I pick up my cellphone I’ll remember I saw two persons in the paper [who got] $1 000 and $2 000 [fines]; that’s going to hurt my pocket,” she added. (YB)
