The driver had apparently not seen me, even though looking directly at me.

The cause of this near miss was obvious - talking on a mobile phone while driving.

The dangers of using mobiles while driving are well known and accepted by most people - it is illegal and occasionally we hear of a driver being prosecuted for this offence.

However, this deterrent has not led to more drivers obeying the law. I believe in fact that driving with mobiles has become part of the road culture for many motorists.

The problem may be one of detection and enforcement.

We commonly accept technologies such as radar and cameras for catching people who speed, with the onus on the vehicle driver at that time. Identifying the driver is not necessary.

This method of catching and prosecuting speeding motorists has been very successful, yet the connection to mobile phone and other road-rule abuse has not yet been made.

Any video camera operator can easily record defaulters driving with mobiles.

They could include the vehicle registration in the film sequence, along with super-imposed date/time and then record the location.

Each segment of film can be separated on a computer and saved as a prosecution file, with ID number, as legal evidence prior to mailing out the prosecution and demerit point notice in the normal way.

So assuming Victorian Police are serious about deterring people from this dangerous driving culture, what is stopping them? Could it be legislation, or is it police funding or staffing shortages?

Concerned citizens should contact their local member of parliament as I have and ask them what is being done about this dangerous decline in driving culture.

Politicians can do more to help prevent future road traumas, suffering and cost by firmly asking why police are not using this cheap and easily available technology for detecting and prosecuting more driving offences.

Australians do not like to change their cultures once adopted. Act now.

The future cost of not tackling this social problem now will be high.

TONY DEWHURST,

Marong