Use of mobile phones while driving is illegal in the country, yet only some states have implemented the ban. Nagaland is not among them, though official notifications are diligently issued at regular intervals.

The last one came at the fag end of last year nudged by a Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways reminder of the ban. But it was quite obviously just an official formality that had to be carried out as there was no mention of how the ban is to be implemented. That there has been no step since towards checking this menace goes to prove this. The cell phone has evolved into an indispensable device in modern times and there can be no argument on its advantages. However, the pitfall comes from its improper use, which turns it into a menace rather than a helpful tool. Much has been said of its nuisance value, but of more worrying significance is the practice of using the cell phone while driving. Common sense indicates that talking or texting on a mobile phone while operating a motor vehicle can be a deadly distraction and a danger to one and all. But our roads swarm with drivers carrying on animated conversations on their mobiles while enforcing authorities do nothing about it. It may be noted that the ban has been in existence for some years now. A couple of years back, the state capital Kohima had tried to put a strict ban on this practice. But the religious fervour with which they started off, pulling up defaulting drivers and seizing their phones, have since died down to not even a whimper. In Dimapur too, a zealous former SP had once issued strict instructions on paper, but it came to nought. Studies have shown that mobile devices pose an even greater threat now due to higher usage and sophistication. What's more, the newest crop of teenage drivers hails from a generation far more dependent on mobile telecommunications. There's little reason to hope that young drivers will ignore their phones simply because they're told it is dangerous, especially when they see so many adult drivers doing the same while facing no consequences. Strict enforcement of the law and penalisation of defaulters is required to deter possible violators. The normal practice of merely issuing a ban in name serves no purpose whatsoever.

QUOTE
Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it's addressed to someone else
- Ivern Ball

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