Law against distracted driving begins May 18, 2017

The ABS-CBN News indicates that a new law banning motorists from using mobile electronic devices while driving officially takes effect from May 18 in the Philippines.

It is not only very dangerous but also illegal for a driver to use mobile devices while the vehicle is in motion in the Philippines.

This announcement is now in effect following the publication of the Implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10913 or the Anti-Distracted Driving Act which became law last year.

poster of Law against distracted driving.

A new law banning motorists from using mobile electronic devices while driving officially takes effect

Under this new law, drivers are banned from using any mobile communications devices to compose messages, make or receive calls, read e-books, surf the internet, play games or watch movies.

“They can use headphones. They can use their smart phones without holding it because the law states that drivers should not be distracted in driving even during the stoplight or temporary stop,” said Land Transportation Office (LTO). This means that the driver has to use Waze and other similar devices in caution.

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A woman making a phone call while driving a car

The law, however, does allow motorists to use a mobile phone to make an emergency call

“If they are using Waze, the device should not be positioned in a way that would distract the driver,” LTO Law Enforcement Service director Francis Ray Almora pronounced. The law, however, does allow motorists to use a mobile phone to make an emergency call to “a law enforcement agency, health care provider, fire department and other similar agencies and emergency services.”