Everyone knows using hand-held mobile phones while driving is dangerous not that it has stopped them using them. A British lorry driver was jailed recently for knocking down and killing someone while trying to text message someone on his phone.

And, in the United States, New York has become the first state to ban by law the use of hand-held phones while driving. Recent studies have shown that the use of phones in this way contributes to accidents. In a country where 73 per cent of all mobile phone call minutes are clocked up while driving, this may put a sizeable dent in the profits of phone companies unless they can persuade people to invest in hands-free equipment. It was little surprise then that only one mobile phone company, Verizon, backed the crackdown and it was seen as "breaking ranks".

Given the profits available in the Irish mobile market, it would be interesting to see the attitude of Eircell, Digifone and Meteor to any tighter legislation here.

dcoyle@irish-times.ie