Measures
Can using the mobile phone be made safer?
Because a total prohibition of using the mobile phone while driving is not realistic, many countries have passed legislation to limit phone use while driving. Concretely, this is usually a ban on handheld phones. Sometimes, specific categories of drivers, such as school bus drivers or young novice drivers with a provisional driving licence, are completely forbidden to use a phone while driving.
Although the long term effectiveness of such measures is limited, public information campaigns can increase the effectiveness. Technical measures, such as facilities that make it impossible to phone while driving, can also contribute to lowering the risks. Finally, using education to make drivers aware of the dangers of a lack of attention in general, and mobile phoning while driving in particular, is also very important. All this, of course, also applies to other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians.
For more details: Fact sheet Use of mobile phone while driving (pdf)