Keep off phones to avoid jail, drivers told

Muscat: As motorists continue to use mobile phones while driving, often leading to serious accidents, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) has reiterated the need to restrict its use while on the wheels. According to the ROP, the use of mobile phones continues to be a major cause of serious traffic accidents in the country. “People are overconfident with their coordination and concentration abilities, but that is not the case. A lapse in concentration of a few milliseconds is enough for a major accident to happen. It also applies to pedestrians who use mobile phones while crossing roads or lanes,” said a senior official at a government trauma care. According to the ROP, the driver who uses a mobile phone spends 10 per cent of his/her time outside the specified lane, which means he creates confusion among the motorists in the adjacent lane or those following him. Comprehensive studies too have concluded that talking on both handheld and hands-free phones negatively impact performance. Some studies said drivers engaged in conversation with passengers could also experience similar negative effects. “Phones are frequently used by both Omanis and expatriates, also men and women. Often these drivers just hide the phone when they spot the police around,” said Amina, annoyed by the fact that some of her best friends indulge in such acts. She added, “I have a young relative who has been fully paralyzed following an accident. My friends know his case well but still they do not see this matter seriously.” As per the rule, motorists will be subjected to a maximum of 10 days in prison or a fine of not more than RO300 if found to be using a phone or any electronic gadgets while driving. Statistically, the number of accidents reported in June 2019 was higher at 210, compared to the preceding months of May (180) and April (163), though the number of traffic accidents saw a decline of 17.3 per cent in June 2019, compared to a year ago. As per the statistics issued by NCSI, 60 per cent of the accidents took place at night June in which 240 people were injured, including 178 Omanis and 62 expatriates. Among the casualties, 33 of them were Omanis (24 men) and 17 expatriates (16 men). Forty Omanis lost lives in April and May accidents compared to 27 expatriates. The majority of accidents were reported from Muscat (23.8 per cent) while 54 Omani women and 11 expatriate women were injured in these accidents.