The laws regarding the use of GPS enabled smartphones are in the process of being reviewed by the State governments as reported by CommsDay.
Currently there are differences between states making it confusing for both consumers and operators. In South Australia and Tasmania, handsets are banned but dedicated GPS units such as Garmin or TomTom are ok. In Victoria a GPS enabled handset must be in an approved dock or cradle. The other states are reviewing their approach in the light of the recommendation from the National Transport Commission recommending the ban on GPS on smartphones, and counter lobbying from the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association who believe that there shouldn’t be any differentiation between devices. If GPS technology on a dedicated device is legal then so should the same technology be allowed on a different device, in particular a smartphone.
Of course, safety is the issue here. Talking, texting or emailing while driving is illegal so other smartphone functionality has to be reviewed with a view to whether it will compromise safety or not. Telstra commented that they are working with state governments and the National Transport Commission to make sure safety is a priority.
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