According to a study by the Louis Harris Institute, 37% of French people admit to driving on the highway with their mobile phone in hand. This figure rises to 61% among drivers under the age of 35. In response to this considerable risk, the government is considering suspending the driving licenses of offenders who are currently only fined.
“This is totally insufficient,” responds Maître Jehanne Collard, a lawyer specializing in defending road accident victims.
For this expert, “using a mobile phone while driving is an addiction. Worse still: an addiction that is becoming commonplace. We do not combat this with fines. To fight such a scourge, the penal code and justice system must send a strong message. Just like with alcohol and drugs, the use of a mobile phone should be punished with harsher prison sentences when it causes deaths or injuries on the road. If we truly want to save lives, the law must stigmatize it.”
