Cell phones cause 30 percent of Panama vehicle accidents

Thirty percent of vehicle accidents are due to the use of cell phones by drivers says Jorge Ricardo Fábrega, director of Panama’s transportation agency ATTT. when   appearing before the National Assembly Thursday (September 16).

He was there to discuss a bill to heavily increase fines for a number of  traffic offenses including cell phone use and blocking intersections.

Fábrega said that the agency has made drastic strides in collecting overdue fines, mostly due to the "pele police," a handheld device that allows police officers to determine if a driver owes money to the traffic authority . He said that the ATTT has collected millions of dollars in overdue fines due to the devices.

He  said the increase in fines, coupled with the agency's ability to collect them, will cut down on the number of accidents.

More than 400 people are killed each year in traffic accidents, and more than 11,000 seriously injured.