Mobile phone use focus for Road Safety Week

Mobile phone use while driving in the Bay of Plenty is the key focus for this year’s Road Safety week which runs from May 6 -12.

Co-ordinated by charity Brake, the theme “SAY NO TO FOMO” will highlight the perils of using a mobile phone while driving and the distraction it causes.

“Anecdotally police in the Bay of Plenty report there is wide spread phone use by drivers,” Whakatane District Council Road Safety and Community Development Advisor Lorreen Hartley said.

“Mobile phone offences have grown in the region from 67 in 2009 to 1,162 in 2017.”

Ms Hartley said rather than telling people what they already know about the dangers, the campaign is asking drivers to say no to FOMO (The Fear of Missing Out). 

“FOMO is what drives the behaviour and compels people to pick up the phone. Replying to a text or checking a news feed can be equal to driving drunk.  The risk of crashing increases but many drivers will still pick their phones up.”

The campaign is being run on local road safety facebook pages. Let’s all get behind road safety week and make the commitment to say no to FOMO.  ‘Save Lives #SpeakUp’ and improve road safety in our region.

Mobile phone offences	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	6months to Jun 2018
Eastern Bay of Plenty	7	16	33	43	47	66	73	156	201	139
Rotorua	22	72	91	181	327	320	348	304	259	96
Western Bay of Plenty	38	138	223	380	314	367	628	717	702	326
Bay of Plenty total	67	226	347	604	688	753	1,049	1,177	1,162	561