New Campaign Warns Against Phone Driving

Numerous Icelandic organisations have joined forces for a campaign encouraging people to stop phone driving.

Nútíminn has posted another video of Icelandic drivers texting and talking on the phone while driving. As can be seen, in some cases these drivers were aware they were being filmed, but continued using their phones while driving anyway:

In response, Nútíminn – alongside The Icelandic Transport Authority and insurance companies TM, VÍS and Sjóvá – has launched a campaign wherein they encourage Icelanders to publicly pledge on social media to stop phone driving, using the hashtag #égætlaaðhætta (“I’m going to stop”). Upon making a social media post with this hashtag, people are encouraged to tag at least three friends and encourage them to make the same promise.

As reported, phone driving is an endemic problem in Iceland, with 77% of drivers between the ages of 25 and 34 admitted to texting while driving. Police data shows that the practice has contributed to a number of traffic accidents – some of them fatal.

Fines for phone driving are only 5,000 ISK, but there are legislative changes in the works to increase fines and other penalties for the practice.