Hyderabad, December 10: Wearing ear-phones linked to mobile phones or Ipods while driving a vehicle can attract a fine of Rs 500.
Driving while talking on a phone is fined under Section 184 A of Motor vehicles Act.
Traffic police chief C.V. Anand says, “We don’t have magic to figure out if the motorist is talking on the phone or listening to music. If the motorist is wearing ear-phones, obviously he will be attending calls or listening to the radio. It can be distracting. Moreover, ear-phones also block the driver’s audibility. Though it is a grey area, it attracts dangerous driving provision.”
On its Facebook page, the Hyderabad traffic police posted “Unplug ear-phones” as part of a safety campaign.
The cops cite a recent incident where eight persons, including four students, were injured when an autorickshaw overturned. The driver, was found listening to songs on a mobile pho-ne with ear-plugs on.
B. Hanumantha Rao, a motorist, said, “I had the ear-phones on and the cops stopped me. I showed them my phone. They could see that there were no recent calls, but they still fined me.”
—-DC