Cablegate: Morocco: Demarche On Distracted Driving Delivered

VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #0118 0421656
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111656Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1201
INFO RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 0079

UNCLAS RABAT 000118

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR OES/S CARTER-FOSTER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON SOCI ELTN MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO: DEMARCHE ON DISTRACTED DRIVING DELIVERED

REF: SECSTATE 06703

1. (U) Embassy delivered reftel demarche by diplomatic note
to Morocco's Ministry of Transportation and Equipment on
February 2.

2. (U) The use of mobile phones while driving is illegal in
Morocco, but "hands-free" sets are allowed. On January 5,
the Parliament of Morocco passed a new highway law ("Code de
la Route) significantly increasing fines for hand-held mobile
phone use while driving from 100 to 500 dirhams
(approximately US $60). The law is expected to take effect
on October 1, 2010.

3. (U) According to the Ministry of Transportation and
Equipment,s preliminary data for 2009, 3,964 people were
killed in traffic accidents during the year, 2.42 percent
more than in 2008. The Ministry also recorded an overall
rise in traffic accidents of 18.67 in 2009 compared to the
average for the previous five years (2004-2008).

4. (U) Morocco has a high level of mobile phone use, with a
market penetration of 80.4 percent as of September 2009, when
the number of subscribers of mobile phone networks stood at
25 million.

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Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Moro cco
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KAPLAN

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