Skip to main content

Dutch government wants to ban mobile phone use in cars

The Dutch government is looking into measures to cut the number of deaths and injuries caused by drivers being distracted by their phones, transport minister Melanie Schultz told Algemeen Dagblad. This could mean that mobile phone manufacturers could be required to fit devices that stop people using their handsets while driving. Currently motorists only break the law if they pick up the phone while driving, but the government says research shows that even hands-free use significantly increases the ris
November 29, 2016 Read time: 1 min
The Dutch government is looking into measures to cut the number of deaths and injuries caused by drivers being distracted by their phones, transport minister Melanie Schultz told Algemeen Dagblad.

This could mean that mobile phone manufacturers could be required to fit devices that stop people using their handsets while driving.

Currently motorists only break the law if they pick up the phone while driving, but the government says research shows that even hands-free use significantly increases the risk of an accident. Schultz said she would look into the feasibility of a total ban. She is also considering technological solutions and is talking to the telecoms companies about making phones switch off certain functions when travelling

Related Content

  • Weigh in Motion gets smarter
    January 4, 2023
    Weigh in Motion technology is at the forefront of protecting road surfaces and helping enforcement activity – but could it also play a key role in the development of Smart Cities?
  • A change of tack
    December 18, 2017
    For some time, it has been evident that the quickening pace of technological advancement has been outpacing the ability of legislators to introduce new laws and amend existing legislation. One example was, apparently, UK legislation specifying that vehicles are fitted with filament lights which was drafted to outlaw acetylene lamps but a century later delayed the introduction of LED technology on vehicles.
  • Visa and the power of mass transit transactions
    April 22, 2020
    Contactless payment is the hidden power behind efficient public transportation. Visa’s Ana Reiley tells Adam Hill why buying a latte should be a model for frictionless ticketing 
  • MaaS by any other name
    February 6, 2020
    Has the roll-out of Mobility as a Service stalled - or could it just be that multimodal travel is simply happening under a variety of different names?