Outrage over photo of cop talking on mobile while driving

A photo which shows a female police officer chatting on her mobile phone whilst driving a patrol car has sparked outrage after it was shared online.

People were quick to react to the damning photo, slamming the female cop for posing a risk to other drivers and claiming that it’s unfair that police do not have to follow the same road rules as everybody else.

The image, which clearly shows the cop holding her phone to her ear despite being behind the wheel of a marked car, was shared on Facebook on Tuesday with the caption: “Umm yeah just going to leave this one. One rule for them, one rule for everyone else.”

However, it has since emerged that the female cop is not guilty of any crime as it is actually legal for police officers to use their phones behind the wheel in New South Wales “at any time”.

A spokesperson for the NSW force told Yahoo7: “In NSW, drivers of police vehicles are exempt under Rule 305 of the Road Rules 2008.

“Police officers may need to receive information about a job over their mobile phones for operational reasons, just as they might need to increase their speed to get to jobs without activating warning devices.”

But that explanation didn’t stop members of the public from claiming the rules set a “double standard” and questioning the safety of a police officer being distracted while in charge of a vehicle.

One furious user wrote: “The level of risk associated with being on a phone while driving is the same with or without a badge.”

Another said: “Lead by example…. practice what you preach.”

However, others were quick to suggest that the officer could have been responding to a major crime, with one person commenting that “she might have been on her way to save your loved one, don’t be so quick to judge”.

According to the 2014 Road Rules it is illegal for drivers in NSW to use their mobiles while they are behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, or while the car is stationary but not parked.

The only exception to this law is if drivers have their phones installed in a fixed mount. It is then legal for drivers to make or receive calls, and play audio, through a bluetooth function. However, police officers are exempt from these rules.

The photo comes after a series of similar images, showing members of the public using their phones or committing bizarre offences behind the wheel, made headlines including shocking footage of a P-plate driver in Western Australia who tucked into a bowl of cereal while driving.

What do you think? Should police officers have to follow the same road rules as everyone else?