Not surprising with the rising accident and death toll on roads around the world were caused by motorists on the phone.

The use of mobile phones by drivers results in 2,600 deaths and 330,000 serious injuries in the United States every year, according to a report published by the Harvard Centre for Risk Analysis on Wednesday.

Though China's death toll and injury figures are not available from the Ministry of Public Security, the swelling number of cellular phone owners and a nationwide car-buying mania are increasingly catching the public's attention.

Dozens of large cities including Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai are taking the lead in improving traffic regulations in an effort to crackdown on errant drivers.

For example, Beijing introduced a new regulation in 1998 banning drivers from chatting on their mobile phones while at the wheel, with law-breakers subject to a fine of between 50 yuan (US$6.03) and 200 yuan (US$24.12).

"I think the regulation is quite effective, with more and more drivers understanding the serious threat to life," said Su Gongwei, a 32-year-old property developer in Beijing.

However, some other residents remained sceptical, saying that the number of police patrolling the roads is dwarfed by the flood of drivers.

Some people like Liu Yin, a 40-year-old business consultant, are not that enthusiastic about using the law to control mobile phone use.

"What if there is an emergency call for business or your relatives are sick, and what if you are so low in spirits that you need somebody to talk to? All these could happen when you are on the road," Liu argued.

The police have already considered such sentiments and the need to strike a balance between the danger of accidents and the day-to-day needs of people, particularly in business. As a result some cities, including Beijing, have revised the regulation.

Drivers in the capital are allowed to use hand-free telephones or plug a microphone into their ears when chatting via the mobile phone which allow them to keep both hands on the steering wheel.

Su Shaoxin, a middle-aged businessman, said China's cities could learn from countries such as South Korea whose citizens are encouraged to report law-breakers.

Su said he was impressed by the practice in Seoul where people are encouraged to take a snapshot of drivers they see talking on mobile phones and hand the damning evidence over to police.

The errant driver is then traced and fined, with half the fine being awarded to the person who tipped off the authorities.

"Only with the public galvanized to become strongly involved can a regulation be enforced to its full potential," Su said.

(China Daily December 9, 2002)