Aussie medical body calls for zero tolerance for young drivers using mobile phones

CANBERRA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Australia's peak medical body has called for a zero tolerance policy for new drivers using electronic devices while behind the wheel.

In a statement released on Thursday night, Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Michael Gannon described having a driver's license as "a privilege, not a right."

Gannon called for drivers with provisional or learner licenses to face a driving ban of up to one year if caught using mobile phone or other electronic devices while driving.

"Greater controls need to be applied to L-plate drivers to ensure they meet their supervised driver training requirements, are supervised by a competent and experienced driver, and comply with logbook regulations," the position statement said.

"Zero tolerance of P-plate and L-plate drivers who use mobile or electronic devices, or breach any road rules, should be enforced."

The AMA said that the annual cost of road trauma to Australians was 28 billion Australian dollars (22 billion U.S.), a figure that could be significantly with a crackdown on mobile phone use.

Under Australian law, learner drivers must complete at least 120 hours of driving with a fully licensed supervisor, all of which must be recorded in a logbook, before they can take the provisional test.

However, the AMA said that more needs to be done to ensure L-plate drivers are not fraudulently filling out their logbooks.

The AMA's position was welcomed by Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, but he disagreed that targeting learner drivers was the correct approach, saying such an approach would disproportionately affect young people. Enditem