The Australian government has mandated that driving with even the most subtle distractions is risky business, having consequences that could prove to be financially burdensome. Distracted driving has become such an issue that coffee passengers risk having a fine of $678.
Keeping Focus
The possession of food, takeaway coffee, and even phones while in the driving position is classified as distracted driving according to the State road authorities. It comes as a surprise that so many drivers believe that sipping coffee during a ride is an innocuous out of practice, and yet during legal terms, coffee consumption and driving has the same effect as the act of driving with one hand. Police argue that these are violation of the driving primary indicators rules of all drivers that must and should be followed to ensure safety in as well as out of the car.
Legal Justification
The fine amount of $678 is a direct result of the road rules that exist as a the driving while holding any object is classified as a distraction. taken by a person used a mobile phone. In many states, such violations, carry demerit points. It is known that the primary aim for these rules is not to become a hold up to the drivers, but to ensure. full concentration to the road so that, all forms of distracted driving, known to be one of the most dangerous forms, are eliminated.
Crashes or Collisions
Transport safety professionals caution that even a mere half of a second of inattention could prove to be disastrous. The police have associated the handling of food or drink while driving with the increased likelihood of rear-end collisions and lane changing accidents as a result of the ‘inattentive driving’ syndrome. Minor distractions such as drinking, eating, or attending to liquids, have been shown to reduce the control necessary to operate the vehicle, such as holding the steering wheel, with all the increased risks thereof.
Changing Driver Behavior
Authorities have advised drivers to change their patterns and drink the coffee either before getting into the car, or after the trip is completed. This is not intended to punish people for their busy lives, officials say, but to encourage a culture of focus and driver safety. With the new penalties, road safety advocates hope that the drivers will regard every activity which is not critical to the driving of the vehicle, as non-essential.
General Trends of Enforcement
The fine for holding a coffee cup is another step towards a greater crackdown on driver conduct. Australian police have increased their patrols with the support of high definition cameras that identify not only phone use, but also other hand-held distractions, with the use of mobile enforcement units. Campaigns with the focus on road safety have started to emphasize that it is unsafe to drive while performing ‘multitasking’ and every act of negligence, no matter how small, adds to the nation’s road toll.
A Message of Emphasis on Safety
Authorities on the road have gently reminded the public that it is absolutely unacceptable to take a sip of coffee while driving. Ever since debates surrounding the appropriateness of the penalty began, policymakers have defended issuing a precautionary suspension to the affected vehicle driver as a notable restriction, and as a result, have kept every driver to taking the expressway within one lane to avoid drastic lane changing, to be dieticians. It and the changing of drivers into dieticians has kept all hands free at all times, which have been above the average threshold of a “two fingers above” to, and actually on, the wheel.