Oman police warns against use of phone while driving

The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has advised drivers against mobile phone use while driving. The warning comes days after a social media star was caught for filming herself driving at 203 kmph in Oman and then posting it on her Snapchat.

Speaking to Y Magazine, an official from ROP said using a phone while driving poses a greater danger to lives. “Studies indicate that the probability of an accident happening is greater with a driver, who uses a phone while driving,” he said.

“A driver must use both hands when driving a car. Keeping a hand busy is illegal whether it is for texting, taking pictures or making a phone call,” he pointed out.

According to the ROP official, people who share videos of themselves on social media are sharing an evidence of a traffic violation and they can be fined for that.

The social media influencer had her car confiscated by police for two weeks and had to pay OMR1,000 in fines. “The lady who filmed herself speeding over 200kph was fined because she shared the video and displayed the dashboard which had the speed displayed on it,” he added

According to the ROP, the number of drivers who use a mobile phone while driving is “high” in the Sultanate, although ROP said it did not have specific statistics on the number of accidents occurring as a result of the use of mobile phones.