More than 300 thousand LTL fines of EUR

According to Rimvydas Pocius, the manager of the commercial insurance portfolio of the Ergo insurance company in Lithuania, this represents a significant threat to traffic safety. The Lithuanian Highway Police Service estimates that due to the use of a phone without a hands-free device while driving, more than 320 thousand people have already been assigned this year. EUR fines.

There is no shortage of violators

According to Vytautas Grašis, head of the Lithuanian Highway Police Service, the use of mobile communication devices behind the wheel, when done without a hands-free device, remains a very relevant problem. During the first half of this year, more than 24.3 thousand. in this case. In Vilnius alone, more than 5.2 thousand people were registered. infractions.

“It can be stated that the use of the telephone while driving a car continues to be a major problem in both cities and smaller settlements. By using hands-free phones, drivers are not concentrating on the road and engaging in remote non-driving activities. This is clearly prohibited by traffic regulations, ”says V. Grašys.

It is dangerous to participate in strange activities on the road.

R. Pocius points out that often on the road, drivers not only talk on the phone without headphones or write messages, but also learn to read the news, dive into social media or even play games. This severely limits the driver’s ability to react to traffic accidents and represents a serious threat to road safety.

“Even a moment of distraction from driving can be very expensive. Events on the road or in the street can change very quickly, with unexpected obstacles occurring suddenly. The driver may also have to react to the maneuvers of other drivers. , and any non-driving activity makes it difficult to do so. No matter how much is said today about so-called “multitasking”: multitasking, you really shouldn’t practice it behind the wheel of a car. The human brain is at 100 percent cent. can concentrate on a single activity, and when there are more, the focus is divided into each of them. Therefore, if part of the focus is on talking on the phone, there is less left for events on the road, “says R Pocius.

Use of phone navigation, only with the right equipment

According to him, with more and more options for smartphones, there are more temptations to use them while driving. An example is the use of maps and GPS navigation on your phone. According to R. Pocius, not all drivers use special cases and mounts when using navigation on the phone, allowing navigation to be used safely without hands.

“Often the travel route is checked by holding the phone, which is really unsafe. It is always best to have a passenger sitting next to you take care of the travel route. If not available, appropriate navigation equipment should be used to allow the route to be viewed without much distraction from the road. Situations in which e-mails or messages are read or written behind the wheel have already become typical. In such cases, it is often justified to use the phone only when stopping at a red light or on an empty road. However, traffic regulations unequivocally state that it is possible to use the handheld phone behind the wheel only when the car’s engine is stopped and switched off, ”recalls R. Pocius.

You may lose your right to drive

Failure to comply with these rules is punishable by a fine of between € 60 and € 90. Additionally, this administrative violation may result in disqualification from driving for 1 to 3 months. However, according to R. Pocius, it is not sanctions, but above all concern for the safety of oneself and of other road users, which should become an incentive to drive responsibly and not engage in outside activities at the wheel.

R. Pociaus recalls that when you drive a car at a speed of 60 km / h, the stopping distance of the car in favorable weather conditions is 25-38 meters, and if you turn your attention to the phone for 1 second, the stopping distance it is two or three times as long.