Cablegate: Israel's Distracted Drivers Legislation

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FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
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UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000273

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/IPA and OES/S - Foster-Carter

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON SOCI IS
SUBJECT: Israel's Distracted Drivers Legislation

REF: STATE 6703

1. (U) Post delivered demarche on Distracted Driving (reftel) to GOI
Ministry of Transportation and the National Road Safety Authority,
as well as the Foreign Ministry. Although an official response has
yet to be received, unofficially we have received confirmation that
Israel has in force laws and sanctions against cellphone use by
drivers.

2. (U) Use of a mobile telephone by a driver without a hands-free
device is unlawful in Israel, and violation carries a fine of 1000
shekels (about US$270). Such use constituted 10.2 percent of all
traffic violations in 2007, some 84,000 cases, and is expected to
have grown since then. Police and media report that the practice is
widespread. Post understands that, although text messaging is not
mentioned specifically in the law, because it involves cellphone use
in a "hands on" manner it would be covered by existing statute. The
Israeli Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety plans to place
extra traffic police details around Israel with the goal of catching
drivers who use their cellphones en route.

3. (U) Full details of applicable Israeli laws will be conveyed with
the official response when received.

Cunningham

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