Credit:Matt Golding The Australian Road Rules date back to 1999 and had not kept pace with technology, the commission said in an issues paper released recently. This had left drivers confused about which devices they were allowed to use behind the wheel. The RACV has thrown its support behind the review, warning that drivers do not understand basic rules regarding using mobiles while driving. A driver illegally uses his mobile phone. Credit:Ken Robertson

Even Victoria Police wrongly advised The Age that motorists could not touch their phones to make calls, even if the device is in a holder. Loading A spokesman changed this position after being referred to VicRoads’ official advice. RACV safety and education manager Elvira Lazar said the rules on mobile phone use needed reform, warning that making calls while driving "can still be dangerous as [drivers'] eyes and attention are away from the road." The commission found road-rule inconsistencies meant that mobile phones and visual display units were covered by the law, but other technologies such as smartwatches and Google Glass were not explicitly addressed.

(Under VicRoads' interpretation, smartwatches are legally classified as a mobile phone, which means they can be used to make calls if in a holder or if voice control is activated.) The commission will investigate if it is safe to use GPS devices and hands-free mobile phones, with research finding these devices can be as distracting as using a hand-held phone. Loading Changes to the road rules would need to accommodate ride-share apps, it said. An Uber driver speaking to The Age this month complained about being fined for illegally using his mobile phone to accept an Uber trip.

The commission’s director of safety and productivity, Mandi Mees, said the laws would become "technology-neutral", meaning distracting behaviours would be targeted rather than specific devices. “We’re not ruling anything out or ruling anything in,” Ms Mees said. “We’re doing a full scan of the whole ecosystem of devices so that we can develop a logic that is simple and easy for road users to understand.” The Council of Australian Governments' Transport Infrastructure Council, which includes transport ministers from all states and territories, ordered the review last year.