SINGAPORE – Before long, a photo or a video of you holding a smartphone behind the wheel will be enough to land you in hot water.

That is if a new Bill tabled in Parliament by the Ministry of Home Affairs on July 7 becomes law.

Under the proposed changes, prosecutors no longer need to prove you were texting, recording a voice message or – for the older crowd – having a phone conversation.

Simply gripping the device is an offence, and the Traffic Police will be able to use photos and videos sent in by the public.

But if your car is stationary or the phone is securely mounted, chat away.

At a time when the number of traffic fatalities is on a worrying uptrend, we need to nip distracted driving in the bud as it is surely a major cause of accidents and close shaves.

Yet, the modern cockpit offers more digital distractions than the aisles of Toys ‘R’ Us to a child. The colourful animated displays in some cars can be downright dangerous.

Do we really need real-time tyre pressure readouts, a scrolling song title ticker tape and a 10km Global Positioning System map squeezed into the digital instrument cluster?

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