Kerala HC: No law bars use of phone while driving
喀拉拉邦高院：没有法律条文禁止开车时使用手机
KOCHI: Using mobile phone while driving cannot be said to cause danger to public or to affect public safety as there is no legal provision that bars the use of a phone while driving, the Kerala high court has held.
科钦：喀拉拉邦高等法院提出，开车时使用手机不会对公众造成危险，也不会影响公共安全，没有法律规定开车时不能使用手机。
The ruling was given by a division bench comprising justices AM Shaffique and P Somarajan while answering a reference made by a single bench regarding the applicability of section 118(e) of Kerala Police Act, which deals with acts causing danger to public or failure in public safety. The single bench had considered a petition filed by Santhosh MJ against State of Kerala through advocate George Joseph Pulimoottil.
这一裁决是由Shaffique和P Somarajan法官在回应《喀拉拉邦警察法》第118(e)条适用问题时作出的裁决，该法案主要适用于对公众安全造成危险的行为或公共安全方面的问题。Santhosh MJ通过律师乔治·约瑟夫·普利莫托起诉喀拉拉邦。
As per prosecution, the petitioner was found talking on mobile phone at 5.45pm on April 26th last year while driving on a public road. The single bench was of the view that using mobile phone while driving will constitute an offence under section 118(e). The matter was referred to a division bench as there were judgments to the contrary by other single benches, including a 2012 judgment (Abdul Latheef vs. State of Kerala) by justice SS Satheesachandran.
根据控方的说法，去年4月26日下午5时45分，原告在公共道路上开车时一边用手机打电话。法官认为，驾驶时使用手机将构成第118(e)条下的罪行。这一案件被移交至区法官，因为其他法官都做出了相反的判决，Satheesachandran法官在2012年也做了类似的判决。
In the 2012 judgment, it was held by justice Satheesachandran that section 118(e) cannot be invoked for talking on mobile phone while driving as there is no statutory provision to the effect that such use would amount to a dangerous act to the public. Even if using mobile phone while driving would amount to driving dangerously, it is covered by section 184 (driving dangerously) of Motor Vehicles Act, the court had held.
2012年的判决是由Satheesachandran法官主持的，第118(e)条法规并未规定不能在开车时打电话，不属于会对公众造成危险的行为。法院曾表示，即使开车时使用手机会导致危险驾驶，但它也只属于《机动车法》第184章(危险驾驶)。
An offence under section 118(e) is punishable with imprisonment up to three years or with fine up to Rs10,000 or with both. Section 184 is punishable with imprisonment up to six months or with fine up to Rs1,000.
根据第118(e)条规定，可判处最高三年监禁、罚款至10,000卢比或两者并罚。第184条可判监禁6个月或至多1000卢比。
After considering the contradictory judgments by the single bench, the division bench, by referring to a 1963 Supreme Court decision (M Narayanan Nambiar vs. State of Kerala), said a strict interpretation has to be made while analysing a penal provision.
在审议了单法官席相互矛盾的判决之后，区法官参考了1963年最高法院的判决，称在刑罚条款时必须作出严格解释。
The division bench held, “In the case on hand, unless the ‘act’ of accused causes danger to public or failure in public safety, the penal provision under S.118(e) will not be attracted. The ‘act’ which is contemplated by the prosecution is using of a mobile phone while driving a vehicle and thereafter assuming that it may cause danger to public or failure in public safety. In the absence of any statutory provision which prevents use of a mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle, it may not be possible to infer that danger will be caused in the process.”
“在本案中，除非被告的“行为”对公众安全造成危险或在公共安全方面的问题，否则《刑事诉讼法》第118(e)条所规定的刑事条款将不适用。检方认为在驾驶车辆时使用手机就是一种“行为”，认为它可能对公众安全或公共安全造成危险。由于没有法律明文规定禁止在驾驶机动车辆时使用移动电话，所以无法推断驾车时打电话会造成危险。
In the absence of a statutory provision to hold that use of mobile phone while driving or riding a vehicle would amount to a dangerous act or it affects public safety, it is not possible to invoke section 118(e), the court held while stating that the 2012 decision (Abdul Latheef vs. State of Kerala) lays down the correct law.
由于缺乏认定开车使用手机属于危险的行为、会影响公共安全的法定条款，所以不可能采用section 118(e)条文，法院同时指出2012年的裁定引用的法律是正确的。
印度时报读者的评论：
Chandra Shekhar
1813
Chandra-Hyderabad-3 hours ago
Do that in any other country. you Mallus know the rules in countries especially the middle east. What a great court your state has. Remove traffic signals also. The signals don't pose any threat to the brainless.
其他国家都这样做。你知道在一些国家特别是中东的规则是什么样的。你们邦的法院好牛啊。把交通信号也去掉吧。这些信号也不会对那些脑残造成任何威胁。