To ensure the safety of passengers and all road users, it is crucial for drivers to avoid using mobile phones while driving. The perception must be clear: using a mobile phone while driving significantly increases the risk of fatal traffic accidents.
When drivers use mobile phones, their control over the vehicle is compromised, regardless of their driving skills. This distraction prevents them from being fully aware of their surroundings, heightening the likelihood of collisions. Authorities continually emphasize the dangers of distracted driving, urging adherence to traffic rules and regulations.
The Yangon Region Private Transport Committee (YRTC) has issued a press release highlighting the risks associated with using mobile phones while driving. They encourage the public to report drivers of YBS buses who smoke or use mobile phones while driving. Offending drivers will face a fine of K30,000. Currently, approximately 3,800 buses from 131 bus lines serve about 1.6 million passengers daily in the Yangon Region.
Statistics from the YRTC indicate that about 14 people die in Yangon due to traffic accidents each year. To address this, authorities have implemented a “quick win” project, imposing a K30,000 fine on drivers who violate traffic regulations. Despite these measures, many bus drivers in Yangon still struggle to adhere to these rules.
Globally, traffic accidents are often caused by high-speed driving, reckless behaviour such as drunk driving, mental health issues, mechanical failures, and the neglect of traffic laws. The World Health Organization’s 2023 report revealed that traffic accidents claim approximately two lives every second worldwide, totalling around 1.19 million fatalities annually. This stark statistic underscores the need for drivers to prioritize human life and safety while providing transportation services.
Research has shown that drivers who frequently send text messages are significantly more likely to be involved in traffic accidents compared to those who refrain from texting while driving. Therefore, it is imperative for all drivers to avoid using mobile phones to ensure the safety of everyone on the road.
The message is clear: to save lives and reduce traffic accidents, drivers must avoid using mobile phones while driving. Adhering to this principle will help create safer roads for all. Calling a phone while driving is very dangerous. Using mobile phones while driving vehicles at 60 miles per hour is the most likely to cause traffic collisions. A traffic accident in a few seconds may bring terrible social and economic losses to the losers and society. As such, all drivers need to understand the threatening life of passengers in vehicles if they violate basic driving norms.
