WATCH: What is the law surrounding using map apps while driving?
An Garda Síochána have set the record straight on the legality of using navigation map apps while driving.
The law states that use of a mobile phone while operating a vehicle is illegal as it falls under the category of dangerous driving.
That being said, phone use behind the wheel is as rampant as ever, despite the stark statistics surrounding the form of multi-tasking.
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The figures state that making phone calls while driving increase the risk of a collision by four times.
Meanwhile, texting makes it 23 times more likely that the car will be involved in a crash.
With gadgets available to buy to hold your phone up in a car, and apps such as Google Maps, what’s the law surrounding using your phone to use these apps?
Pic: Getty Images
A new video from An Garda Síochána outlined the rules, noting that it is ‘acceptable’ to have your phone displaying maps while in a holder.
A Garda member added: ‘You must not be holding your phone, cradling it with any part of your body or having it on your lap, this constitutes holding a mobile phone, which is the specific offence.’
They added that road-users cannot allow themselves to be distracted by the mobile phone should it be in a holder.t
‘If you do become distracted and your driving is unacceptable, you may receive a fixed charge notice of €80 and two penalty points for driving without reasonable consideration for other road users,’ they warned.’
The video prompted a wide response from fellow social media users noting that phone use behind the wheel was at an all time high.
‘The amount of people I see on a daily basis with their phones in their hands while driving is huge,’ one confirmed, ‘You can always tell the drivers that are distracted because they’re either driving too slow, weaving or just driving really badly.’
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Another hit out: ‘All the influencers these days recording videos while driving is ridiculous and they’re sharing the evidence publicly yet nothing is being done about it.
‘Yes the phones are in holders (most of the time) but as you said they’re distracted by it and that’s an offence.
‘They’re constantly looking at it and paying more attention to their content than the road.’
A third commented: ‘I’ve seen people on FaceTime calls and watching videos while in traffic… this trend of needing to have your phone mounted on your dash or obscuring the windscreen while driving is ludicrous.’
