Motor telephony: policy responses

In many respects, mobile phones have fitted into the folds of everyday life with minimal fuss. Building on the developments and experiences of telegraphy and landline telephony, people’s use of the device to communicate with others at a distance has mostly been a natural and taken-for-granted progression. Yet the emergence and widespread adoption of mobile telephony has also been accompanied by unforeseen consequences. The mobile phone’s use in vehicles and the effect this has on road safety is one example, and forms the focus of this paper. Tragic road deaths resulting from phone use, media coverage and an increasing amount of research attention have created concern and pushed the practice onto the public policy agenda. A number of questions have been posed. How does phone use affect driving performance? Is it a serious road safety issue? What is the best way to manage the risks? Should mobile phone use while driving be legally banned? And, if so, should both hand-held and hands-free be prohibited? Or is self-regulation a more appropriate strategy? As we explore the rationales, processes and deliberations of government in grappling with the regulation of motor telephony, we see the answers are not straightforward. This is a controversial and complex area of regulation, one which involves a diverse array of groups with different interests and motivations.