PUBLIC NOTICE
The general public is being informed that anyone caught talking on a cellular phone or texting while driving will be ticketed by Police Officers for breaking the law. The law became effective from 2nd January 2020.
After being ticketed persons have ten (10) days in which to make payment of the fixed penalty of $500 at the Magistrates Court in Gray’s Farm.
If persons fail to make payment within the said 10 days, a period of 21 days is allotted where individuals can contest the ticket issued to them. After the 21 days period. The ticket automatically becomes a warrant for arrest and the ticketed persons may be imprisoned.
More public awareness will be done regarding the topic.
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I am wondering who will be doing the arrest and charge to anyone caught breaking this piece of law. I hope not the same police officers that will be doing the same like the civilians. It would be like taking the plank from civilians eyes and leave it in yours.
What about all these people holding the cell phones and recording or doing Facebook or instagram live while driving. A lot of people and these young antiguan ‘influencers’ as they are calling themselves now.. like to record while driving. They may want to make the argument that they are neither taking or texting. So please be specific because their actions are still distracting and dangerous
FOLLOW THE DRILL, BUT FOLLOW THE LAW
By any stretch of imagination, this is going to be ‘…a very difficult task to police.’
For reasons of ‘…control and accountability, and to a greater extent ‘…to lessen corrupt practices,’ only a few officers would be issued with ‘…Ticket Books.’
The question is, ‘…Who would be so foolish to make a Ticket-issuing officer catch him/her?’
There is a ‘Drill’ for all road users, ‘…pedestrians and motorists.’
Apply this ‘…Chance-Taking Drill’ to the prohibitive use of cellular phones while driving.
It cautions;
‘…Look right;
…Look left; …then
‘…Look right again before crossing the road.’
By the way, you can be compliant with the law, with virtually no problems.
It saves a motorist from;
(a) ‘…Being ticketed;
(b)…Faced a Fixed Penalty;
(c) …Having to pay unnecessary money;
(d) …Having to attend Court;
(e) …Having to waste valuable time;
(f) …Missing Court date;
(g) …Being convicted in absence; and
(h) …Having Traffic Court officers pulling one over with ‘…Default Warrant’ to be carted off to prison.
Simply pull to the extreme left of the public road and park.
This has been provided for in the law and allows for everything to be done freely [VRT: Mobile Device: Section 8: No.3 of 2019].
(i) …Free passage and/or access.’
(ii) ‘…Free Texting; …Talking; …WhatsApping; …Recording; …Picture taking and free from Ticket-issuing.’
Happy New Year and ‘…Happy Ticket-Free Motoring.’
Only a dummy would ignore this ‘…Drill and advice to be compliant with the law.
As you said above it is simple..Simply pull to the extreme left of the public road and park!
Everyone knows..If you call me and I don’t answer its one of many things
a) Sleep
b) Driving
c) Sleep
d) In the loo out (Like TMI)
e)Sleep
f)Away from Phone
g) Sleep
Did I mention Sleep already?
And Gods forbid the people too that take pics of the litterbugs /others on the phone while they themselves are driving. If you want to play police..Park your car near the cemetery.. then you can discreetly take pics of people doing nonsense
FOLLOW THE EXPLANATION – AVOID CONVICTION AND FINE IN ABSENTIA
Do believe that the writer of this news story may have been misinformed by the presumably ‘…Official Notice.’
Such Ticket ‘…is not an automatic Warrant of Arrest.’
Such issuance of a Ticket is no different from the other ‘…Ticketed Offences’ for minor traffic infractions.
There are but two objectives;
(i) …Administrative’- Paying Fixed Penalty without Court proceedings; and
(ii) …Contesting the ticketed offence before the Magistrate in the Traffic Court.’
The Ticket has a dual purpose.
It is;
(i) …A Summons with inter alia;
(a) …Particulars of offence;
(b) …Date and time;
(c) …Place to attend Court; and
(ii) …A Complaint Without Oath, filed before the Magistrate.
When so filed, the offender now has a Case pending trial before the Court.
When this comes up before the Magistrate on the date specified, it is for trial.
If the person so ticketed is not present, the adjudicator’… may proceed ex-parte’ with the officer that issued the Ticket called upon to give evidence as to ‘…what he/she witnessed and what he/she did.’
On that basis, the Magistrate may impose a fine in absentia.
Collecting the Fine often becomes a problem for many motorists.
The adjudicator may issue a ‘…Warrant In Default of Payment.’
More troubling, the defaulter will be conveyed to Her Majesty’s Prison as the Warrant so commands the executing officer.
Though they have no such discretion, some officers may still ‘…urge payment of the fine,’ and the defaulters escapes incarceration or jail time as specified on the Warrant.
Well, the Treasury wants the Fine (Revenue), and the defaulter wants his/her liberty.
Two things about these Tickets;
(i) …Better to obey; and
(ii) …To stay out of jail, better to pay.
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