Bahrain caught 3,000 for using phones at wheels

Manama : More than 3,000 drivers in Bahrain had been caught using their mobile phones while driving during the past few months.

Majority of the violators were speaking on their phones, while the rest were caught texting, snapping pictures or filming videos.

According to a statement issued by Interior Ministry, a total of 3,352 mobile phone-related violations were registered during the last few months.”

Traffic Culture General Director at the General Directorate of Traffic Lieutenant Colonel Osama Mohammed Bahar confirmed that “the violations included 1,042 cases of making phone calls, 530 cases of following WhatsApp chat, 335 cases of texting, 282 cases of taking selfies, 250 cases of using Instagram, 177 cases of using Snapchat, 169 cases of checking the time, 165 cases of watching YouTube and 105 cases of browsing Twitter.”

He noted that many drivers used handheld mobile phones while on the road. He also highlighting that using the mobile even while waiting at the traffic signal is against the traffic rules.

“According to a local study by the department, 97 per cent of the surveyors think that using handheld mobile phone is risky,” he added.