DOTr eyes revival of law vs distracted driving in July

A man drives while using his cellphone to check the traffic in Taft Avenue, Manila.INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is set to resume as early as the first week of July the implementation of Anti-Distracted Driving Act (Adda), which restricts the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices while driving.

Assistant Transport Secretary Leah Quiambao said the DOTr was set to publish within the week the revised implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the law, also known as Republic Act No. 10913. The law goes into effect 15 days after the publication.

Addressing one of the contentious issues concerning navigational devices, the new IRR allow motorists to mount such gadgets on the dashboard as long as they don’t exceed the four-inch height limit.

Quiambao added that the revised IRR allows the driver to use the hands-free functions of a device and as long as it does not obstruct his line of sight.

Among the prohibited acts under Adda are: Holding the device to make or receive calls; composing, sending, and reading text messages; performing calculations; playing games; watching videos and browsing the internet.

Confusion marked the first implementation of Adda in May, although more than 240 motorists were cited for violations by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. –Jovic Yee