Rising trend of mobile phone use by motorists while driving cause for concern

The Hindu

20-05-2025

Using mobile phones while driving is becoming an alarming trend on Chennai's roads, contributing to frequent slowdowns, near-miss incidents, and accidents.
Though route navigation via phone is legally allowed in hands-free mode, drivers of cab aggregators, food delivery services, and bike taxis often misuse this allowance. Phones mounted on dashboards are used not just for directions but also for watching entertainment. There is currently no effective monitoring system to regulate or penalise such violations. 'It's concerning that drivers mount their phones on holders and stream videos while driving. When they see us, they quickly switch to maps and pretend to navigate. We can't always prove they were watching videos, while it is now par for the course to consult maps while driving/riding. So it's actually difficult to penalise them,' said a traffic investigation officer.
Though many crashes are caused by distracted driving, victims often don't admit to mobile use in their accident reports. They prefer minimal documentation to ease insurance claims, making it hard to zero down mobile phone usage as the cause. The problem is more visible during city traffic, where sudden halts and erratic speeds caused by distracted drivers lead to crashes/accidents, and then it becomes quite visible.
Motoring enthusiast D. Sathish highlighted that distracted driving is common among all road users — two-wheelers, cars, buses, and lorries, even pedestrians. It is those on vehicles that cause maximum damage. He observed that middle-aged drivers are the worst offenders and rarely face action. 'Many two-wheeler riders talk through the helmet gap or watch videos, putting themselves, pillion riders, and pedestrians at risk,' he said. Accidents involving heavy vehicles can be fatal, he added.
Monica, a frequent user of ride-hailing services, noted that many drivers use phones for texting or watching videos while driving. 'It causes jerky rides and minor accidents. I request drivers to avoid using their phones, but not everyone listens,' she said. A traffic officer revealed that some auto and taxi drivers watch TV serials or comedy clips during long drives to beat boredom. 'We have no complaints from passengers, and verifying mobile usage through call records is difficult given our workload,' he admitted.
B. Ramadasse, a transportation expert, estimated that 15–20% of motorists use mobile phones while driving. He noted that aggregator drivers often get fatigued and use phones for calls, videos, or music to stay engaged. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), there were 7,558 crashes and 3,395 fatalities due to mobile phone use in 2022 — a 15.7% increase from 2021. Tamil Nadu reported 39 crashes and 12 deaths, while Chennai officially recorded none. Experts suggest this underreporting is due to a lack of proper documentation.
Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act penalizes dangerous driving, including handheld mobile use. Rule 165 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules allows hands-free navigation but prohibits any activity that distracts the driver. Experts and NGOs urge the police strictly enforce rules and make it clear that they will not tolerate mobile phone use for entertainment while on the road, besides facilitating tech-enabled monitoring, awareness campaigns, and in-app restrictions for aggregator drivers to curb this rising threat.