MOTORWAY POLICE EDUCATE DRIVERS HOW TO USE PHONES WISELY_24 PIECES OF ADVICE HOW TO USE THE PHONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRAFFIC CODE WILL BE GIVEN TO EACH TRAVELLER STOPPED ON THE A4 KATOWICE-KRAKOW

24 points that are not penalty points but pieces of advice informing how to use the phone wisely and in accordance with the regulations of the Traffic Code are given to travellers using the A4 Katowice-Krakow during routine checks. Advice in the form of a handy guidebook is distributed by officers of the Motorway Police in Krakow who support the campaign "Be #smA4rt, drive safely!” implemented by Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A.Autostradowego Policji w Krakowie, który wspiera kampanię „Bądź #smA4rt, jedź bezpiecznie!” realizowaną przez Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A.

Driver! "do not talk on the phone holding your phone in your hand”, "mount your phone in a special holder”, "do not wear two earpieces of a hands-free system at the same time", "put up the volume of the navigator when you use your phone navigation". Passenger! "help the driver and offer to answer the phone for them”, "do not put the phone to the driver's ear”, "do not take photos during the journey" – these are just a few pieces of advice included in the manual given to travellers on the A4 Katowice-Krakow.

– According to the statistics, as many as 75 per cent of smartphone owners use them while driving. Many of them travel on motorways – roads where traffic situation changes very rapidly due to the high speed of vehicles. A moment of inattention caused by improper use of a phone while driving, no reaction of a passenger to irresponsible behaviour of the driver or unreasonable use of the phone by a person sitting next to the driver may cause dangerous situations on the road. By giving travellers these tips, we encourage them to get to know the rules and to change improper behaviour – says major Krzysztof Lis, Chief of the Motorway Police in Krakow.

The booklet prepared by the concessionaire of the A4 Katowice-Krakow and the police contains pieces of advice both for drivers and for passengers, because their behaviour can also influence driver's safety. Readers of the manual will learn what behaviour connected with using the phone will increase their safety and which they should avoid. The manual has also been made available to Internet users on the website devoted to the campaign "Be#smA4rt, drive safely!” at: www.badzsmart.pl.

The campaign "Be#smA4rt, drive safely!” is aimed at increasing drivers' awareness of the use of mobile phones in accordance with the regulations of the Traffic Code and minimising the risk connected with using them while driving.

The aims of the action, tips for drivers and passengers, results of a national survey carried out among drivers and interesting information about using phones while driving can be found on the website dedicated to the campaign. Internet users that would like to join the campaign and encourage drivers to use their phones wisely while driving are invited to the Facebook profile of the A4 Katowice-Krakow at: www.facebook.com/A4KatowiceKrakow.

Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A. encourages them to join the action in a film at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5T-_Qwnd9M&list=UUp66cTyN-JU0GijuwzSp-rg

Tips how to use the phone wisely while travelling:

Driver!

1. Do not talk holding the phone in your hand or if you have a hands-free system or a wireless headset, try to limit phone calls as much as you can.
2. When you use navigation in your phone, put up the navigator's volume, in order to hear its voice commands well. You will thus limit the necessity of looking at the screen.
3. Do not surf the Internet while driving even if you quickly need to check the exact address of the place you are going to. Stop in a permitted and safe place in order to use the phone.
4. Using the headset, do not put earpieces on both ears, only on one, to hear what is happening on the road, in particular any emergency vehicles.
5. Break or end the conversation if anything that requires more attention happens on the road.
6. If you know that the phone conversation you are to make while driving will be emotional, do not make it. Driving requires being focused.
7. If you know that you will have to use the phone in the car e.g. for navigation, mount it in a special holder, near the dashboard. This location of the phone will help you keep eye contact with the road. The simplest, universal holder costs a few dozen zlotys.
8. Never write SMS-messages when you drive. A few seconds of not looking on the road may cause a serious accident.
9. Instead of reading SMS messages activate the function of having them read aloud by your phone.
10. Do not take photos of yourself when you are driving. "Selfies” may be fashionable but taking them while driving is very dangerous.
11. If you are planning a long journey, connect the charger to the phone before you set off. You will not have to frantically look for it when the power level on your phone gets down.
12. Do you like reading books or magazines? Download an audiobook to your smartphone and enjoy listening to your favourite writers and journalists. Listening to an interesting audiobook helps fight fatigue behind the wheel.
13. If you need to use your phone, stop the car in a safe place or ask a passenger to take or make the call.
14. Use modern technology wisely. Be smart in using only these solutions that may improve your safety or comfort of travelling and not distract you.

Passenger!

15. Remember that your safety also depends on the driver's behaviour. Make sure the driver limits contacts with the phone while driving.
16. When a phone is ringing and the driver does not have a headset or a hands-free system, ask them not to answer the phone or offer taking the call for them.
17. When you surf the Internet while travelling, do not show the driver what you have just seen on the screen, even if it could be interesting for them.
18. Do not distract the driver by taking photos while driving. A flash may blind them and cause danger on the road.
19. If you need to use navigation while travelling, help the driver by typing in the address and instruct the driver where they should go. The driver will thus be able to concentrate on the road.
20. Never hold the phone next to the driver's ear. If you do so, the driver focuses their attention not only on the conversation but also on holding their head close to the phone you are holding.
21. Try not to watch films on the smartphone when you sit on the front seat. In this way you can distract the driver, make them curious so that they may want to look at your phone's screen.
22. If you like playing games on your smartphone, try not to choose the ones that require your rapid movements. Sitting at the front seat you can accidentally push the driver and distract them.
23. If you cannot give up entertainment on your journey, instead of browsing for funny pictures or films, rather go for texts. It is better to read something to other passengers than to show them pictures on the screen.
24. Help the driver during travelling and if necessary check their email or other important applications.

Remember!

• If you suspect that the person you want to call may be driving, call them later. It will be more convenient for both of you.
• If you call a person who is driving, ask them if they use a hands-free system or a headset. Even if they do, try not to keep the driver's attention for too long and let them focus on the road. If the driver holds their phone while talking to you, have them call you back when they stop the car in a safe place.
• Modern smartphones have many voice-activated functions. If you are curious what voice functions your phone has, read the user manual.
• Are you a business owner and your employees use cars at work? Introduce rules of using cars at work including rules concerning safe use of phones while driving.
• When you see that your close relation uses a phone when they are driving in a reckless way, tell them that. In this way you will care for their and other road users' safety.

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About Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A. (SAM S.A.)

Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A. manages the 60-kilometre long stretch of the A4 motorway between Katowice and Krakow. It is the first fully functional road of this kind in Poland, built within the framework of public-private partnership as a brownfield investment – modernisation of the road built in the 1970s and 1980s. Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A. has held the concession for its adaptation to the requirements of a toll motorway and operation since 1997. This required numerous investments. All investment projects, including current maintenance of the road, are financed from tolls for using the concession stretch and from loans obtained from an international bank consortium. Unlike other concessions for managing toll motorways, the project run by Stalexport Autostrada Małopolska S.A. does not burden the state budget in any way. The company does not benefit from any State Treasury subsidies or guarantees.

For further information please contact:

Rafał Czechowski
Spokesperson for SAM S.A.
e-mail: [email protected]tel. 601063200