Australia is pushing for a total ban on listening to MP3 players while driving after it was claimed by a pedestrian rights group that a recent campaign by police to warn against using them didn’t go far enough.

The recent campaign from New South Wales police warned both pedestrians and motorists against the dangers of using MP3 players and iPods while walking and driving respectively. The police say they don’t actually have any statistics to prove the dangers of MP3 players, but recent incidents suggest there is a link.

Chief Superintendent John Hartley said:

The public needs to be aware of the impact of these new technologies and the distractions they create, for both pedestrians and motorists alike,” said the traffic services commander.

The campaign from the police shows pedestrians lying dead, with a white chalk outline being created by an iPod cord.

Harold Scruby is the chief exec of the Pedestrian Council, he claims that the police campaign doesn’t go far enough and wants to see MP3 players and iPods banned for drivers.

If you take out the audial sense, you remove one of the most important aspects of road safety. You wouldn’t hear an ambulance or police car, let alone someone tooting you.