Athlone drivers have been revealed as the most law-abiding in the country when it comes to the use of mobile phones while driving, according to a leading safety body.
Research from the Road Safety Authority (RSA ) found that just 2 per cent of drivers in the Athlone and surrounding area were caught talking on their mobiles, making it the most safety-conscious region in this regard.
The Athlone figures are in stark contrast with Cork and Maynooth, where 12 and 9 per cent respectively were found to be using their phones behind the wheel.
Surveys were carried out at several sites in the Athlone area, with John Broderick Street/ Irishtown coming out on top with just three drivers observed to be on mobile phones out of a total of 674 drivers surveyed.
In the Northgate Street area, 11 out of 718, or 2 per cent, were observed talking on phones, while the figures for the AIT/ Willow Park area were 6 out of 648, or 3 per cent.
Surveys were also carried out at Society Street/ Dunloe Street, Ballinasloe (1 per cent ), The Square, Roscommon (3 per cent ), and Dublin Road/ Clara Road, Moate (3 per cent ).
Nationally, 6 per cent of drivers were found to be flouting laws prohibiting the use of a mobile phone while driving.
Roadside observation surveys were undertaken of drivers at 45 sites in seven areas across the country in 2009. The RSA also revealed that the number of motorists earning penalty points for using a mobile phone has increased by more than 20 per cent in the past year.
It is now the most common penalty point offence after speeding, with 93,525 motorists receiving two points for mobile phone offences up to August this year.
