ROADSIDE CHAT.

In response to a growing number of accidents caused by drivers splitting their concentration between the road and their cellular telephones, Callao, Peru, passed a law last year that made the practice illegal. The measure added it to the growing list of Latin American cities that are outlawing driving while speaking on the phone.

"At one point, we had nearly an accident a day tied to cellular telephone use by drivers," says municipality spokesman Mauricio Samanamu. "The aim of the law is a simple one: Give drivers enough of an incentive for them to pull over when they receive a call." The US$85 fine in a country where the per capita income is barely $125 a month definitely curbs phone conversations.

Last year, the fines added around $55,000 to coffers in Callao, a city of 600,000 just north of Lima that includes the capital's international airport and one of South America's largest deep-water ports.

If numbers tell the tale, the law seems to be working. Fines were levied on just 30 drivers in February, the last month with statistics available, down dramatically from 133 in January.

Its success may well start a trend nationwide. Officials say that at least six of Lima's 42 districts and two provincial cities are expected to vote on similar laws by the end of the year.