A road safety officer is backing a Canadian road safety campaign - with an abrupt racy message.

'Crotches can Kill' is part of the province of Alberta's own new Fatal Four campaign aimed at tackling speeding, drink-driving, not wearing seat-belts - and using a mobile phone behind the wheel.

Now Mr Noel Gibbons , who is Road safety education officer with Mayo County Council, has tweeted a link to his Canadian counterparts' initiative.

It involves a series of 'distracted driving' adverts, meant to remind drivers to keep their eyes on the road.

This comes after a RSA Driver Attitudes and Behaviour Survey 2014 showed Almost one in three drivers (31 per cent) admitted they had spoken on hand-held mobile phones while driving, while 16 per cent admitted texting and 7 per cent said they had checked their mobile apps while in control of a vehicle.

The figures showed some 45 per cent of drivers said they had spoken on hands-free phones, with more than 400,000 motorists estimated to use hand-held mobile phones while driving.

The message in this campaign is in line with the Mayo County Councils own Fatal Four campaign, which warns: "It is all well and good looking at this site and saying 'that's ok, it won't happen to me'.

"Anyone who drink-drives, speeds, fails to wear seat-belts or uses their mobile while driving could end up in hospital or the mortuary or worse force someone else to be in hospital or mortuary.

"This could be classed as causing death by dangerous driving, and is one of the most serious offences."

Noel Gibbons tweeted: "Did you take a look at your phone on the way to work this morning? With these dark mornings and dark evenings it's easy to spot the motorists with the mobile phone left on their laps as they drive and their cars are illuminated by their phones receiving text messages and phone calls causing a distraction.

The road safety officer reminds motorists that every time you check that phone in your lap, your attention strays from the road for five seconds. "We know what you're doing down there," a car moving at 50 km/h will travel 14 meters (around 4 car lengths) in just one second.

The new rules, which came into effect on May 1st 2015, mean anyone caught texting or "accessing information" on their phones will face a mandatory court appearance and a fine of up to €1,000 for a first offence.

This will rise to a maximum of €2,000 for a second offence, and a possible three-month jail sentence, along with a €2,000 fine, for three offences or more within a 12-month period.