Dutch government launches campaign against phone use in traffic

The Dutch government launched its MONO road-safety campaign on 28 September, urging drivers and cyclists not to read or write messages while travelling. It advises people to silence their phones, switch on ‘do not disturb’ or put the devices out of reach before setting off. The campaign is running on radio, television and online. [1]

The government says reading and writing phone messages more than doubles the risk of a crash. Infrastructure and Water Management Minister Vincent Karremans said distraction in traffic leads to more than 100 deaths a year and many more injuries. He was referring to traffic distraction generally, not phone use alone. [1]