This thesis is about the uses of mobile phones while driving, the problems they create and the strategies which have been adopted in addressing the practice. Using a cross-disciplinary framework, this thesis provides a rich description of the regulatory options that have been debated and implemented, highlighting the differences between Victorian, Australian and international jurisdictions. By focusing on the Victorian context, the practice of phoning and driving is used to explore the social and political implications of technological innovation and the emergence of a new regulatory domain. The social policy debates involve an array of opinions and groups, from government through to private industry, research organisations, media and the driving public. This network of actors supports and promotes regulatory options in different ways and we see that developing and implementing public policy strategies is a complex, fluid and non-linear process. Accordingly, it is possible to see regulatory efforts surrounding the use of mobile phones in cars as an instance of the continuing complexity of various technologies of government as they intersect with the social use of technology. (a)
Abstract