Transportation Minister Miri Regev says police will begin enforcing hefty fines of NIS 10,000 ($3,000) against drivers who use their phones on the road.
Speaking at a conference on transportation, energy and infrastructure hosted by the Yedioth Ahronoth news group, the minister blames a recent uptick in traffic accidents on the behavior. More than 400 people have been killed on Israeli roads this year.
According to Regev, law enforcement will begin issuing the steep fine without so much as a court hearing on the first offense. Drivers run the risk of having their cars seized if caught using their phones a second time on the road.
“We will go so far as to confiscate the vehicle. If they [police] catch a person texting, they will immediately give him an NIS 10,000 fine the first time. He won’t go to court,” she says, according to Ynet. “The second time, it will be the confiscation of the vehicle.”
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