Motorists driving with earphones or AirPods risk six months in jail –FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps has said that drivers who receive or make telephone calls while driving, regardless of any wireless gadget (AirPods or earpiece), used for such communication stand a risk of bagging a six-month jail term.

FRSC Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, disclosed this in an interview with Punch. Kazeem said 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 calls while driving, according to the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012.

“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 phone call using EarPods earphone or whatever means.

It is also clear that phone call is not restricted to 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 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 to accident.”he said