Khaberni - With the increasing inquiries from citizens about registering violations of "using mobile phones" against them through new artificial intelligence cameras, despite not holding the phone in their hand, the decisive explanation comes from the texts of Jordanian traffic law and regulations that precisely define what constitutes a violation, and confirms that merely placing the phone on the dashboard does not constitute a traffic violation in itself.
The law is clear: The violation is "handheld use"
The amended Jordanian traffic law of 2023 clearly states that the violation specifically involves "the use of a mobile phone or any part of it while holding it by hand during driving."
The purpose of this legal provision is to prevent any behavior that leads to the driver being distracted from the road, which occurs when holding the phone to make a call, write a message, or browse applications while the vehicle is moving.
The Traffic Department confirms that drivers who use mobile phones while driving are at a four times higher risk of traffic accidents than others, as proven by global traffic studies.
What do artificial intelligence cameras monitor?
The automated surveillance systems (smart cameras) deployed on the roads are designed to enforce the law, and they are programmed to analyze driver behavior accurately.
They do not merely detect the presence of a phone in the vehicle, but they monitor the movement of the driver's hand as he holds the phone and uses it, whether he places it to his ear or looks at it in his hand.
The artificial intelligence is trained to differentiate between placing the phone securely on the dashboard and the "actual handheld use", which is criminalized by law.
The only exception
The current traffic laws, regulations, and instructions only exempt the case where using the phone in the vehicle is allowed without constituting a violation, which is when the phone is mounted in a special holder (Car Mount) on the dashboard or windshield.
In this case, the driver can use navigation and map applications (GPS), where looking at the mounted screen is quick and similar to looking into a car's mirror, provided that the screen is not touched or data is not manually entered while the vehicle is moving.
Severe Penalty: Financial Fine and 3 Traffic Points
The violation of using a mobile phone by hand while driving is classified among the severe violations that cause a high rate of accidents. According to the amended traffic law, the penalty is a financial fine of 50 dinars, along with registering three traffic points in the driver's record.
