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No selfies while driving: police [Gulf News (United Arab Emirates)](Gulf News (United Arab Emirates) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sharjah: Taking a selfie alone at home and looking in a mirror isn't going to hurt anyone. But posing for a self-portrait while driving a Hummer on a highway at 120km/h is sheer madness, said Sharjah Police while launching a new safe driving campaign on Sunday. Major Abdul Rahman Khatr, director of communications at Sharjah Police Traffic Department, said statistics showed most major accidents were due to using mobile phones while driving. "The number one activity that should be occurring while you are behind the wheel is driving. Hundreds of thousands of people are injured each year as a result of distracted driving and these injuries and deaths are preventable. Put the camera down and wait until you arrive at a safe destination. Don't let that driving selfie or video be the last photo you ever take." Police are cracking down on people who use their mobile phones while driving after figures showed that over the past seven months, 8,154 motorists were fined for the offence as compared with 7,251 in 2013. He said despite repeated warnings from the police many motorists still insisted on breaking the law and using mobile phones while driving. Offenders are given a Dh200 fine and four black points, Maj Khatr said. A selfie — a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone — are topped the offences. "Selfie photos have gotten a lot of attention lately," he said. They've become so popular that Sharjah Police are reminding people how dangerous it can be to take a selfie while driving. He said the traffic department had launched a traffic campaign in the emirate called "Focus on the Road While Driving" to catch reckless drivers and traffic law violators in the emirate. Maj Khatr pointed out many things can distract people when they are driving — children, pets, the radio — and as wireless technology has expanded, driving distractions have increased to include a range of hand-held devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and MP3 players, he added. The campaign is aimed at focusing on the causes of road accidents to enhance the safety of motorists as part of the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Interior. Safety tips will be handed out to the public in Sharjah city and the Eastern Region via brochures and booklets in Arabic and English. He added that police posted safety measures and procedures to be followed by motorists on their social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook. YouTube and Inastgram). . (c) 2014 Al Nisr Publishing LLC . All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |