1845 drivers fined for seatbelt violation, mobile phone use

The police during an intensive monitoring across the country last week spotted many passengers not wearing seatbelts in both the front and the rear seats of vehicles as well as many drivers using mobile phones without a hands-free device while driving.

There were 926 people found not wearing a seatbelt in the front seat of a vehicle and 40 in the back seat. The number of cases of children’s safety equipment violations was 39, said the National Police Board in a press release on Thursday.

A total of 879 drivers were found using a mobile phone without a hands-free device while driving.

A total of 70 drivers were fined for failing to observe rules for pedestrian crossings. Of them, 13 passed a vehicle that had stopped in front of a pedestrian crossing or was obstructing visibility of the crossing without stopping, 37 failed to give way to a pedestrian about to use the crossing, and 20 failed to give way to a pedestrian who was actively using the crossing.

In the release, National Police Board Chief Superintendent Heikki Kallio emphasised the importance of using seatbelts.

“Seatbelt use saves lives in crashes, and no one can be sure that they won’t find themselves in such a situation through either their own error or an error in someone else’s judgement,” he said

He also pointed out that use of mobile phones while driving poses a danger and creates risks for others in traffic.

“Use of mobile phone while driving is permitted only with hands-free devices,” Kallio noted.