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Originally Posted by jason_els  This law has been close to useless in New York too. At intersections where the traffic turns left, it's cell chatter after cell chatter on hand-held phones. People just do not give a damn. They'll risk a ticket for it. |
That's a shame - it really works in Ireland.
We have a penalty points system there (and here in France - but it is slightly different):
National Safety Council - Penalty Points - About Penalty Points : The Full List of Current Offences
Penalty Points remain on the licence record for a period of 3 years. Get 12 points at any time within the 3 years and it’s an automatic disqualification for 6 months. (though the insurance companies treat points as a chance to up your premiums too!) Talking on a hand held phone is 2 points (though if you contest it and lose it is 4 points - that'd take 6 offences to get suspended but it seems to work as a deterent because I never see people holding phones when I'm over there. Everyone I know who doesn't have hands free pulls over to answer the phone or turns it off in the car.