Cell Phone Driving Ban

[Easy Drifter]

Ontario banned the use of cell Phones and other hand held devices as of 3 months ago. A grace period where basically only warnings were given out expired today. Normally you were only actually charged if you were using one and were in an accident.
So today as I was pulling out of our local supermarket's snow covered parking lot (so are all the in town streets) a woman in a SUV pulls in yapping on a cell phone. She promptly slid very lightly into the rear bumper of a parked car.
The lot was icy, but! On a cell phone. I glanced at her license plate and it was from a Toronto dealership.
Another one who has not figured out 4 wheel drive does not stop better than 2 wheel drive plus illegally on a cell phone.
Up here, except for the highways, even in town, roads are snow covered more than they are bare in the winter.
As an aside it was a toasty high of -32c at the ice races on Sat.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Ontario banned the use of cell Phones and other hand held devices as of 3 months ago. A grace period where basically only warnings were given out expired today. Normally you were only actually charged if you were using one and were in an accident.
So today as I was pulling out of our local supermarket's snow covered parking lot (so are all the in town streets) a woman in a SUV pulls in yapping on a cell phone. She promptly slid very lightly into the rear bumper of a parked car.
The lot was icy, but! On a cell phone. I glanced at her license plate and it was from a Toronto dealership.
Another one who has not figured out 4 wheel drive does not stop better than 2 wheel drive plus illegally on a cell phone.
Up here, except for the highways, even in town, roads are snow covered more than they are bare in the winter.
As an aside it was a toasty high of -32c at the ice races on Sat.

heheheh....typical eh? As for your day at the Ice Races, I thought about coming up...and then changed my mind...lol...too cold for this guy.

[Valve Bounce]

I'm surprised that it took so long before cell phones while driving were banned in Canada. I realised this 7 years ago when I told my sister and brother-in-law in Hawaii it was dangerous, but they were incensed that I would dare suggest that. They like to phone as many people as possible and it always ended up with "I love you". Verbal Graffiti.

[anthonyvop]

Cell phone bans are stupid. What should be banned are bad drivers.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2010-01-29-cell-phone_N.htm?csp=usat.me

[Mark in Oshawa]

Cell phone bans are stupid. What should be banned are bad drivers.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2010-01-29-cell-phone_N.htm?csp=usat.me

That's been my point all along Tony, but alas, I am in the minority it seems.

[anthonyvop]

The same people who cause accidents will talking on the Cell phone are the same types who crash while drinking a soda, Smoking a Cigarette or changing the station on the radio,

[Easy Drifter]

Unfortunately we can never ban bad drivers. I do wonder how some ever got a license though. Then I saw 'Canada's Worst Driver' this year. One University student, originally from India, got his license because he had one in India. His total test in India was to show he knew how to start a car!
Clearly there are problems with the testing.
Toronto is a tough city to drive in but many people, often from driving schools, go to small towns to take their tests. Little traffic, few if any lights, no highway driving. Then they can drive on the 401, all 16 lanes, with a speed limit of 100k but real speed of 120.
I grew up in TO but would rather drive in Mtl. or Chicago two notoriously tough cities to drive in.
Cell phone bans in Canada are a provincial matter so not all provinces have banned them.
A wierd thing in Ontario is that Volunteer Firemen cannot have flashing red lights on their private vehicles. They have flashing green lights but have to obey all traffic laws. Great when a house is on fire and people trapped and firefighters are trying to get to the firehall to even get the trucks to respond.
Sheer stupidity by a city oriented Govt. Plus that info is not even in the Drivers Handbook. Most rural people know but most in the cities do not. I just wrote an article on that in www.drivenwheels.com (http://www.drivenwheels.com) one of two places I regularly write.
Mark: No way I am going to freeze at the ice races! When younger I did go a few times. Heck I even worked on Judy's car the year she was Ont. champ but I didn't go to the track!

[Valve Bounce]

Cell phone bans are stupid. What should be banned are bad drivers.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2010-01-29-cell-phone_N.htm?csp=usat.me

I must say that this is an over simplistic argument. I have posted this before, but here goes: I have sometimes been aware of a driver in front of me, driving about 10 to 15 kph below the speed limit, and weaving slightly, and oblivious to nearby traffic. On closer look, I find the driver talking on a cellphone.

I would not claim this is a bad driver, as he or she could very well drive normally after hanging up.

Banning the use of cellphones while driving would alleviate a potentially dangerous situation on the roads.

[Easy Drifter]

I do agree Valve. I have seen too many incidences of poor driving while on a cell phone.
I must admit I sometimes drink coffee while driving but only when the road is clear.
Last time I got a large was going to Mosport. I finished it about a mile from the track two hours after I got it. It was cold!

[Mark in Oshawa]

I must say that this is an over simplistic argument. I have posted this before, but here goes: I have sometimes been aware of a driver in front of me, driving about 10 to 15 kph below the speed limit, and weaving slightly, and oblivious to nearby traffic. On closer look, I find the driver talking on a cellphone.

I would not claim this is a bad driver, as he or she could very well drive normally after hanging up.

Banning the use of cellphones while driving would alleviate a potentially dangerous situation on the roads.

Here is my point, and if I may be so bold, Tony's point. I had this same argument on the Trucker's forum I go to. The laws for enforcing this are there. It is called a charge of careless driving. If you are seen weaving all over the road, or blowing stop signs, the cops can pull you over and charge you with careless driving if you are otherwise sober. IF you hit something, it is DANGEROUS driving. Both fines are the same if not more than what you would get for a cellphone ticket in this province. What is more, the cellphone tag apparnetly does NOT go on your record like a speeding ticket. If I am wrong fine, but I do remember that was on the table when the law was being debated in the legislature.

OH yes...one more thing. Someone with more time on their hands ought to actually look at accident stats for the period 85 to 95 when the cell phone was non existant, then 95 to 05, and then 05 til now. Do it in various jurisdictions. Then do it from when the ban in whatever jurisdiction you are in goes on and see what the accident rate is. Last I looked or heard, no one in the press said accidents were up.

What is more, It has been documented that in many places, death's are down. Now I know that is more a function of seatbelt laws and airbags, but the reality is I would really it confirmed empircally that cellphone's caused the accident rate to go up. Not that I doubt they can cause accidents, I think their use should always be minimal when driving BUT I think the same dopes who would run into things texting or talking with a hand held are the same dopes who were running into things without cell phones.

Cops, Truckers and other trades who work the highway such as wrecker drivers or highway maitenance have all had radios or CB's for years. CB's and phones. Did THEIR accident rates go up? Wanna bet you cant see a change?

[Valve Bounce]

Mark, I think you are looking at this from your own perspective and not from that of someone using a cell phone. Many times, I see pedestrians using cell phones and they are completely in a different world. I cycle past them on a wide riverbank paved area and they simply walk in all directlions and have no idea of anything around them.

I am not talking about the professional trucker who obviously have been using CB's and know they have to keep their concentration or lose their rig. I am talking about the dingbats who have no idea how their minds are wandering.

The police here have records of an increasing number of accidents while drivers are on their cellphones. This included one helluva fiery accident in a freeway tunnel as they have conclusive evidence the driver was talking on his cellphone when he veered into another lane and caused a multi-car pile up - some other motorists were burnt to death.

The point I am making is that there is anecdotal evidence that drivers on cellphones here have caused accidents, and that's why they are banned in Australia.

So, if overall deaths are down in Canada, can we really attribute that to the fact that some Canadian drivers were using their cellphones and this resulted in a lowering of the road toll?

The point I am making is that the use of cellphones does distract some drivers from their driving, and this has caused accidents.

[Mark]

Using a phone while driving *is* dangerous. It's not like taking a swig of pop which is over in a couple of seconds, it's an involved activity which takes your mind off the task at hand quite considerably. I know, I've done it before myself and almost came a cropper.

The worst is trying to read / send a text message while driving, when travelling on the motorway the situation can change from free flowing to almost stationary in a few seconds, so if your not concentrating..

I do still regularly make phone calls while in the car, but using my inbuilt bluetooth hands free system, I just need to press one button on the indicator stalk, and say the name of the person I want to call and I'm connected. Then I don't have to take my eyes off the road. The only problem is that O2 mobile reception anywhere outside city centres is piss poor so I end up getting cut off most of the time!

[Easy Drifter]

I too used to use a CB. But I didn't get involved in long conversations.
A situation has occurred in Toronto in the last month with a rash of pedestrian accidents including several deaths. The police ascertained in some cases people were on their phones or texting and just walked out into traffic! One walked right out in front of a streetcar. Another walked into the side of a truck.
I don't have a clue on how you would deal with that.

[Mark]

I too used to use a CB. But I didn't get involved in long conversations.
A situation has occurred in Toronto in the last month with a rash of pedestrian accidents including several deaths. The police ascertained in some cases people were on their phones or texting and just walked out into traffic! One walked right out in front of a streetcar. Another walked into the side of a truck.
I don't have a clue on how you would deal with that.

There was an advert in the UK recently aimed at teenagers where there were a group of them carrying on texting and taking pictures etc, one was videoing the other as they waved while crossing the road, and they were immediately run over and killed by a truck. Very graphic. But you got the point!

[Mark]

But then you get stupid situations like the one recently where a driver was sitting in stationary traffic with the handbrake on, and was fined and given points for blowing his nose!

[ShiftingGears]

But then you get stupid situations like the one recently where a driver was sitting in stationary traffic with the handbrake on, and was fined and given points for blowing his nose!

True, but then you will always get police officers being complete morons. I know people who have been fined because they didn't take the keys out of the ignition when they pulled over and stopped to take a call.

[Lousada]

But then you get stupid situations like the one recently where a driver was sitting in stationary traffic with the handbrake on, and was fined and given points for blowing his nose!

Over here it is forbidden to use handheld cell phones in the car while moving. So if you are in front of a (red) trafficlight you can use the phone, when it goes green you have to put it down again.

[Lousada]

Unfortunately we can never ban bad drivers. I do wonder how some ever got a license though. Then I saw 'Canada's Worst Driver' this year. One University student, originally from India, got his license because he had one in India. His total test in India was to show he knew how to start a car!

This reminds me of a practise which was used in my country in the past. My country 'owns' a few Caribbean islands which are fully part of our territory and under our law. One of these islands is so small only 3000 people live on it. So there are no highways, no trafficlights, no roundabouts and only a couple of cars. And there was a driving school. Back then you could go to any driving school in the country to get your license, and since the island was part of the country... :p

[Dave B]

I've used my mobile in a traffic jam that was clearly not moving for some time - technically illegal. The law can be an almighty ass sometimes.

[GridGirl]

I've used my iphone to watch tv in long traffic jams before. I figured if all three lanes were closed and I'm stuck in a 20 mile traffic jam on my own I figure I have every right to entertain myself.

A friend of mine was in his tree barking tuck in December when a police car drive past and saw him talking on his mobile phone. A few minutes later he got pulled by the police, so he got out of his truck and walked over to the police car. He couldn't sit inside as it was full of trainee police officers. The poice officer asked him if he knew the reason why he'd been stopped and my mate said he didn't. The police officer then asked him if he knew he was talking on his mobile phone to which my mated replied yes. Then the police man asked him if it was left hand drive and my mate said said yes, wished the police officer a merry christmas while all the trainee police officers burst out laughing at the police officer who'd managed to pull someone over for driving while using a mobile phone when the person wasn't actually driving. :D

[Brown, Jon Brow]

I don't have to worry about texting/calling when driving because no one ever calls me :(

[Mark]

In grid girls situation it would technically be illegal for to take her hands off the wheel at all. Never mind watch TV!

[GridGirl]

In grid girls situation it would technically be illegal for to take her hands off the wheel at all. Never mind watch TV!

Even when all three lanes of the M5 are shut and you never moved for 4 hours. If I kept my hands on the steering wheel all that time I'd look a right prat. :p I did have the phone propped up on the dash when I was watching tv though. :)

[Mark]

Even when all three lanes of the M5 are shut and you never moved for 4 hours.

Especially then! Don't even blink!

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Especially then! Don't even blink!

I thought when it had come to a stop during the snowy weather people left their cars?

[Hondo]

I don't suppose any of you would go along with making it legal to shoot at the vehicle being driven by somebody using a cellphone. Ultimately it would help thin out traffic and increase employment opportunities in the automotive repair business, tire business, glass business and paint business.

I like the idea.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Mark, I think you are looking at this from your own perspective and not from that of someone using a cell phone. Many times, I see pedestrians using cell phones and they are completely in a different world. I cycle past them on a wide riverbank paved area and they simply walk in all directlions and have no idea of anything around them.

I am not talking about the professional trucker who obviously have been using CB's and know they have to keep their concentration or lose their rig. I am talking about the dingbats who have no idea how their minds are wandering.

The police here have records of an increasing number of accidents while drivers are on their cellphones. This included one helluva fiery accident in a freeway tunnel as they have conclusive evidence the driver was talking on his cellphone when he veered into another lane and caused a multi-car pile up - some other motorists were burnt to death.

The point I am making is that there is anecdotal evidence that drivers on cellphones here have caused accidents, and that's why they are banned in Australia.

So, if overall deaths are down in Canada, can we really attribute that to the fact that some Canadian drivers were using their cellphones and this resulted in a lowering of the road toll?

The point I am making is that the use of cellphones does distract some drivers from their driving, and this has caused accidents.

Mr. Bounce, I am sure cellphones that are not bluetoothed ARE a distraction. So is eating, smoking, applying makeup, shaving or playing with your lap top. AT what point though did using a Cellphone while driving become the preminent issue of people getting killed on the highway? Did anyone ask the question whether we should ban all those other things? Heck...why stop there. Maybe they should ban talking to other passengers? I know...why don't we just ban bad drivers!!

Ban Ban Ban Ban!!!! You keep saying we need a law and pretty soon it will be illegal to leave your house without a police escort. You think I am being silly but my point is we cant legislate against the stupid. We have laws on the books against drunk driving, yet people do it. Where I live, 50km/h over the limit will get your car seized and crushed and people STILL do it. So to say we should ban the use of cell phones while driving is a panacea for the politicians to say they addressed the problem when a good charge of careless driving would be better because the insurance companies would then raise the rates on the imbecile. The way the law was written here, it is a straight out fine and the insurance company will not know about. No different than a parking ticket. You know now why the law is there, it is a revenue generator and NOTHING more.

I am tired of having laws written to protect me from my own stupidity or someone else's stupidity. They do NOT work....The stupid will walk out in front of streetcars or buses or cars , or drive into the back of transports and they did a lot of this BEFORE this ban. AT some point, you have to grasp this is Darwin at work......

[Hondo]

Thats the beauty of my solution. It bans nothing and makes nothing additional illegal.

Simple, to the point, and effective.

[Hondo]

Fiero for President!

[Mark in Oshawa]

Fiero for President!

Unless you had a fling with an intern, you cant be President. I want a President who is an unrepentant cretin I think....oh wait a minute...never mind, I don't have a vote!

[Wade91]

Ontario banned the use of cell Phones and other hand held devices as of 3 months ago. A grace period where basically only warnings were given out expired today. Normally you were only actually charged if you were using one and were in an accident.
So today as I was pulling out of our local supermarket's snow covered parking lot (so are all the in town streets) a woman in a SUV pulls in yapping on a cell phone. She promptly slid very lightly into the rear bumper of a parked car.
The lot was icy, but! On a cell phone. I glanced at her license plate and it was from a Toronto dealership.
Another one who has not figured out 4 wheel drive does not stop better than 2 wheel drive plus illegally on a cell phone.
Up here, except for the highways, even in town, roads are snow covered more than they are bare in the winter.
As an aside it was a toasty high of -32c at the ice races on Sat.
the cell phone was not the couse of the accident though, having both hands on the wheel was not gonna help her stop in time

[Valve Bounce]

the cell phone was not the couse of the accident though, having both hands on the wheel was not gonna help her stop in time
No, but paying attention to the slippery conditions instead of yapping on her phone would have.

[Mark in Oshawa]

the cell phone was not the couse of the accident though, having both hands on the wheel was not gonna help her stop in time

Really Wade? You ever drive in snow? NO. Have you ever driven a modern car with decent tires and ABS on snow? NO. If she is not on the phone being important (that is what people from Toronto do, they drive around thinking they are VERY important) and impressing her friends of how busy she is, she is paying attention and can avoid or steer around trouble.

The whole idea of driving with a cell phone IS not good, I agree, and this woman proves it, but we don't need new laws to punish her. There is enough on the book in almost any jursidiction you want to look at.

[steve_spackman]

I think all cars should be manual, that way nobody can use the damn phone when driving.....

[Wade91]

I think all cars should be manual, that way nobody can use the damn phone when driving.....
that would be the dumbest idea ever, alot of people (myself included) dont know how to drive a car with a manual transmession

[Mark in Oshawa]

that would be the dumbest idea ever, alot of people (myself included) dont know how to drive a car with a manual transmession

Wade, just for that I am all for manual transmissions only...if it keeps you off the sidewalk...

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Fiero for President!

I don't think a country should have a President that didn't know that Germany has a bigger population than Texas.

[Hondo]

I don't think a country should have a President that didn't know that Germany has a bigger population than Texas.

My statement didn't address population, it addressed area, in which I was correct.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I don't think a country should have a President that didn't know that Germany has a bigger population than Texas.

Jon..I think he always knew on the population. There are many Americans that don't know but Fiero isn't one of them. That said, it is one of the things I wish Americans would get a little wiser to. Most are so painfully naive about the size, culture and geography of the rest of the world.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

My statement didn't address population, it addressed area, in which I was correct.


Jon..I think he always knew on the population. There are many Americans that don't know but Fiero isn't one of them. That said, it is one of the things I wish Americans would get a little wiser to. Most are so painfully naive about the size, culture and geography of the rest of the world.

Well, correct you were addressing area, but did sound unaware of the population of two of the worlds most important nations :)



Texas, population, 24 milion.
Germany, population, 82 million.

It's less about land area and more about how many people you are dealing with.


WOW! Those suckers need to ease up on the breeding over there.

And I thought Texas was getting crowded...

[Hondo]

John, it kind of reminds me of a contest question once about the largest dog. My answer was an Irish Wolfhound, which at that time was tallest breed. My opponent's answer was the Great Dane. We were both wrong. The winner was St. Bernard, for being a great fat basterd. Their reference to largest, meaning heaviest. My acknowledgement to mark was more of a thank you for participating.
But reading back, I can certainly see your reply.