Leaving your phone on your lap while driving can result in a fine of up to RM1k or three months in prison – police

Driving around with cell phone on lap while using navigation apps or talking on speakerphone could get you in trouble with police, report Star. The news agency spoke to Candi Wan, whose older sister was stopped by the police while they were on vacation in Penang.

At the time, Wan’s sister was driving and navigating the streets with an app on her phone. “She had her phone on her lap and at a roundabout, she just held it up for a few seconds to double check the direction,” Wan said.

A policeman spotted her holding the phone and pulled her over. “We told the police that my sister was only holding the phone for a very short time and it was actually on her lap. The officer said it was wrong to even put the phone on her lap,” Wan recalls. Wan’s sister was later summoned to appear before a judge in August.

According to Soffian Santong of OCPD George Town, drivers are not allowed to put their phones on their laps. Instead, they should use a car phone holder to position the phone to navigate in such a way that the driver can see the road while glancing at the screen. “This is because you will have to look down (at the phone on your lap) at the map on the screen. This can lead to accidents,” explains Soffian.

Even with a car phone holder, the driver is not allowed to touch or swipe the screen without reason. “Stop and fix it if something is wrong with the navigation. When you’re adjusting the phone on the phone holder, you might bump into someone,” noted Soffian.

He added that drivers are also not allowed to pick up their mobile phones while waiting for a red light as it can lead to traffic jams as drivers don’t notice the light turns green. Soffian also points out that it’s “not about issuing summons but about keeping ourselves and others safe on the road.”

Using a cell phone while driving is not a complicated offense and drivers must appear before a judge. Anyone charged with using a mobile phone while driving a vehicle can be fined up to RM1,000 (minimum RM300) or jailed for up to three months if found guilty. Second-time violators can be fined up to RM2,000 and imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.