Why you should not call, text and drive

There is a saying that goes—if you can drive in Uganda then you can drive anywhere in the world. It is probably based on the fact that driving here is risk, many roads have potholes which one will need to navigate as he or she drives.

Plus, you need to keep your eyes on the road because there might be children playing as they cross the road or someone’s chicken or goat that could have lost its way home. Whatever you do, you need to keep your eyes on the roads every second. But phone habits normally get in the way.
Ironically, Ugandan drivers are also on their phone—making or receiving calls, or texting.

Veteran driver, Andy Musoke cannot help but wonder how one can drive and pay attention to a phone because it divides their attention and anything could happen.
“You are not sure what the person on the end of the line is telling you. It could be bad news and this could cause shock and someone might make a mistake they would not have anticipated. It is better to either park and answer a call or ignore it and return the call later,” he argues.

Use a hands-free device
According to Kennedy Gichuhi, the manager Life & Pensions at ICEA Assurance Company Ltd, advises that it is important to keep off the mobile phone. He adds you cannot serve two masters at a time.

“You are bound to cause an accident. Remember it is a traffic offence to drive while on phone. If you have to, use a hands-free device. If you don’t have it, pull over and attend to your caller. Even if there is an emergency, please do not cause another one for more people,” he explains.

In the 2013 Annual Crime and Traffic Road Safety Report, it was noted that theft of mobile phones stood at 4,409 cases, taking position among the top 10 crimes that year.

Some of the thefts happen during traffic jams as drivers or passengers speak on phone. In one incident two individuals will create distraction for the driver. One thief will call the driver’s attention to something as another steals the phone, sometimes placed in the co-driver’s seat.

It is an offence to text while driving and the offense can attract a fine of Shs100,000. In 2004, government issued a ban on using mobile phones while driving and fines for failure to comply, as part of measures to curb down on the dangerous habit.

Focus on the wheel not phone
Musoke cautions that if one is to use the phone without handsets becomes tricky since a driver will need to engage gears and doing so as they hold a mobile phone, makes it difficult. This is particular with manual cars.
Even the veteran driver advises that one should not be on phone while driving because they have only two hands where while driving they use one to steer the wheel another should be used to engage gears.

So, he advises that it is better that a driver finds a parking spot or space, answer a call and communicate without any stress before they can proceed to drive.
Like that, they can communicate with better focus and with undue pressure of having to multi-task, which might result in causing accidents they would otherwise have avoided had they opted to park, received or made the call and then drove afterwards.

To note
While issuing the regulation, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Works and Transport then, Charles Muganzi, said that drivers or supervisors of learner-drivers are not allowed to use hand-held mobile phone or any other communication equipment while driving or when the vehicle is in motion, a regulation Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango affirms to. “If you are to speak while on phone, it is advisable that you use hearing devices. The law [Traffic and Road Safety (Amended) Act] is very clear on that,” he adds.