Driving With Earphones,calls attracts Six Months Jail term – FRSC Tells Motorists
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said it is illegal to receive or make telephone calls while driving, regardless of any wireless gadget used for such communication.
The FRSC also said drivers who make or receive calls behind the wheels with AirPods, EarPods or any form of wired or wireless earphones and handsfree mode risk six months in jail.
Nigeria Standard reports the FRSC Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, as saying in an interview on Saturday that driving requires total concentration and road users should not take any risk on their lives.
He said it is illegal to make calls or receive the same while driving, according to the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012.
Kazeem said, “It is illegal. Driving entails 100 per cent concentration so you cannot be distracted. It is there in the regulation.
“It is clear from the provisions of Reg 166 (1) that it is illegal to make a phone calls using EarPods earphones or whatever means.
“It is also clear that phone call is not restricted to a telephone conversation between two or more people.
“Anything that will distract you while driving must be avoided. When we do public enlightenment, we even discourage drivers from talking to passengers which could cause distraction.
“The law may not make it an offence but at the same time, it can distract you, even changing your cassette (while driving) can distract you and result in an accident.”
