Distracted Driving

Andre McCalmont

September 1, 2009, Bill 118 passed and it became illegal to use cell phones, portable electronic entertainment devices such as I Pods while driving in Ontario

How often do you find yourself using your phone while driving? Be honest, everyone has done it.

Distracted Driving

What is the law in Ontario? Ontario's Careless Driving Law, contained in

Highway Traffic Act Section 130 and introduced in 1990, concludes that every person is guilty of the offence of driving carelessly who drives a vehicle or street car on a highway without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the highway.

Ontario Careless Driving Law

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What does Bill 118 entail?Holding or using a cell phone or an I pod while

driving is against the lawGPS units as well as dashboard-mounted devices

that provide gauges and displays relating to logistical or navigation uses are not allowed while driving

What is allowed?If your pulled over in a place that is not disrupting

traffic you are allowed to use electronic devices Bill 118

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What is the punishment?If convicted under the Careless Driving Law,

motorists may be liable for a fine of $200 to $1,000, as well as a jail term for a maximum of six months. As well, the motorist's licence may be revoked for a period of up to two years. This is one of Ontario's toughest rules of the road.

Ontario Careless Driving Law

Distracted Driving

Much needs to be done to put an end to distracted driving thus creating safer roads.

What can be done to put an end to distracted driving?

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Solution 1 Harsher laws need to be put in place, most of

the people breaking the law can afford to either

A. Afford to have a lawyer take care of it OrB. Can afford to pay the fine If demerit points were taken away it might

show some more incentive get people to stop carelessly driving distracted

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Solution 2Better in car technology, SYNC and Bluetooth have created safer roads

but why not take it to the next level why not have this technology freeze your phone so you are only able to make phone calls

If you are not allowed to receive emails and texts while driving you wont be a distracted driver

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Solution 3Rapid price increase from insurance If insurance prices go up for distracted

driving offenders this will hit them where it hurts and make people change

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Solution 4Learn from other lawsUse lessons learned from laws like not

wearing your seatbelt Valuable lessons can be learned about how to

raise awareness and get the message out that distracted driving is dangerous

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Solution 5Raise Awareness Demonstrations like put on by the Canadian

Automobile Association need to be shown everywhere, on television, cell phones, I pads, the word needs to get out and people need to be constantly reminded if change is to happen

What is wrong? What is distracted driving? What are the consequences?

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Solution 6Police Blitzes The police need to step up there focus on

distracted drivingJust last weekend the Ontario Provincial Police had

a blitz pulling and ticketing distracted driversThese blitzes will send a message to drivers that

driving while distracted are not acceptable and are against the law

There needs to be more of this, the more people getting tickets the less likely they are to do it again

Distracted Driving

Canadian Automobile Association provides us with an image with 11 common distractions that occur while driving, can you name them all? This needs to become more common. People need to be aware of all distractions that can happen while driving Canadian Automobile Association

Distracted Driving

1. Personal Electronic Device. The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Keep cell phones, I Pods, ect.. off while driving.” Canadian Automobile Association

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2. Children. The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Don’t allow fighting or horseplay in the car. If children act up, pull over to deal with safely without taking your eyes off the road.” Canadian Automobile Association

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3. Toys. The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Before the trip, equip your children with appropriate toys (small, soft, and quiet) that will keep them busy without being distracting or hazardous in a sudden stop.” Canadian Automobile Association

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3. Loose objects. The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Secure all loose objects, like CD cases, sunglasses, or cigarette packages, before starting the car so they don’t go flying during a sudden stop.” Canadian Automobile Association

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4. Loose objects. The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Secure all loose objects, like CD cases, sunglasses, or cigarette packages, before starting the car so they don’t go flying during a sudden stop.” Canadian Automobile Association

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5. Food and Drink. The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Consume coffee, hamburgers and other foods and beverages before your trip, or during an off-road break.” Canadian Automobile Association

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6. Maps. The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Try to plan routes before leaving, or have a navigator keep simple written directions that won’t cause a visual distraction.” Canadian Automobile Association

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7. Decorations. The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Keep your rear-view mirror, dashboard and back window clear for better visibility and less visual distraction.” Canadian Automobile Association

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8. Personal Grooming. The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Make-up hair, and wardrobe adjustments should never be made on the road.” Canadian Automobile Association

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9. Stop! The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Is construction taking your attention away from what is happening around you? If you didn’t have your eyes and mind on the road, are you sure you would have seen this construction worker in time? Canadian Automobile Association

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10. Roadside distractions. The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Don’t let what’s happening beside the road, such as billboard, landscapes features, or even the scene of an accident, take your eyes off the road.” Canadian Automobile Association

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11. Audio systems. The Canadian Automobile Association argues “Whenever possible, preset radio stations and pre-program CDs or MP3 players before heading out, and keep the volume low.” Canadian Automobile Association

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Out of these 11 distractions how often do you find your self dealing with one of them? All are considered to be a distraction while driving and thus can be dangerous.

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How relevant is distracted driving?The Canadian Automotive Association argues

that 20 to 40 percent of all collisions were attributed to distracted driving

They also argue that more recent studies have suggested that 8 out of every 10 collisions are caused by distracted driving

Canadian Automotive Association

Distracted Driving

Overview Distracted driving is a big deal, it effects all

of us.Distracted driving can easily be prevented Many people are driving distracted and don’t

know itMore awareness has to be raised to put an

end to distracted driving Harsher laws need to be implemented to get

people to put their cell phones down and drive safely

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Conclusion

People need to be constantly reminded driving an automobile is not a right it is a privilege

Distracted driving needs harsher laws and more police attention to remind people of that

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Works Cited http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/

road-sage/does-texting-while-driving-make-sense-to-you/article1916578/

http://www.caa.ca/driventodistraction/what/game.html#

http://www.caa.ca/driventodistraction/what/distracted.html#on

http://www.caa.ca/driventodistraction/how/index.htmlhttp://smartcanucks.ca/cell-phone-use-in-ontario-while-

driving-officially-banned/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/

2008/10/28/cell-phones.html

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