Drivers using mobiles six times more likely to crash
Fine Gael Deputy Naughten is calling on Transport Minister Seamus Brennan to introduce regulations to ban the use of mobile phones while driving in the light of ongoing road fatalities.
He plans to raise the issue at this afternoon's road safety debate at the Oireachtas Transport Committee.
The ban on using mobile phones while driving was first suggested by former Environment Minister Noel Dempsey in August 2001.
And last May, Minister Brennan said he intended to implement the legislation 'without delay', but there is still no sign of the practice being outlawed.
According to Mr Naughton research suggests that drivers using mobile phones are six times more likely to make mistakes than drivers who are not.
Road fatalities increased in May for the first time since the introduction of the penalty points system and there have been 16 fatalities so far this June.
