The Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Molloy, signed on Tuesday the statutory instrument banning the use of hand-held mobile phones while driving under the Road Traffic (Construction, Equipment and Use of Vehicles) (Amendment) (No 2) Regulations, 2002.
"The driver of a mechanically propelled vehicle that is in a public place shall not hold or have on or about their person a mobile phone or similar apparatus while in the said vehicle, except when it is parked.
"In these regulations: 'Mobile and personal communication systems' means systems consisting of a mobile network infrastructure whether connected or not to public network termination points, to support the transmission and provision of radio telecommunications services to mobile users;
" 'Mobile phones' means any device which is being used directly by a person for the purpose of communication by way of mobile and personal communications systems; 'Other similar apparatus' means any device, other than a mobile phone, which is being used directly by a person for the purpose of communication by way of radio waves of any frequency, including but not limited to citizen band radio, shortrange hand-held radio communication apparatus and private mobile radio apparatus; 'Parked' means parked in such a location and manner that an offence under the Road Traffic Acts is not committed thereby.