Here soon: $500 fines for using hand-helds while driving

NEWS RELEASES

MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION

ONTARIO MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

************************* Eyes on the road - hands on the wheel

McGuinty government's distracted driving law to take effect this fall

TORONTO, April 22 - Legislation to make the province's roads safer by prohibiting the use of hand-held devices to talk, text or e-mail while driving, today received third reading in the legislature. Drivers will be prohibited from using hand-held cell phones and other hand-held electronic entertainment or communications devices while driving.

The use of hands-free devices would be permitted. Emergency calls, such as calls to 911, will not be affected. Transport Canada estimates that driver distraction is a contributing factor in about 20 percent of all collisions.

Drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be in a crash.

Once supporting regulations are developed, the new law could be in effect as early as this fall.

"We want drivers to focus on the task of driving: driving safely must always be a driver's primary task and responsibility: anything less is unacceptable. Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel - it is one of the basic tenets of safe driving," said Transportation Minister Jim Bradley

Quick facts

- Once the new law is in place, drivers who text, type, email, dial, or chat using a prohibited hand-held device could be fined up to $500.

- Ontario will join more than 50 countries worldwide that already have similar laws in place, and a growing number of North American jurisdictions such as Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, California and New York.

Learn more

Watch a video that shows how distractions affect your driving.

************************* Ontario's doctors laud provincial ban on hand-held cellphone use while driving

TORONTO, April 22 - The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) is commending the provincial government for taking steps to help make roads safer by banning the use of hand-held cellphones and other electronic devices while driving. An OMA report, Cellular Phone Use and Driving: A Dangerous Combination, released this past September shows that a crash is four times more likely to occur if a cell phone has been used up to 10 minutes prior to the collision.

"Talking on a cellphone while driving has become a habit for many who continue to view it as a harmless practice," said Dr. Ken Arnold, President of the OMA. "But what we know is that talking on a hand-held cellphone is in fact very distracting and can lead to serious injury or even death. The government and all members of the legislature should be commended for passing this important piece of legislation that will help keep our roads safe."

The OMA report also found that the use of a cellphone while driving leads to dangerous changes in drivers' behaviour.

Among these changes are:

- Change in average driving speed

- Slower brake reaction time

- Slower response times to traffic light changes

- Reduced visual monitoring of mirrors and instruments, with some drivers abandoning them entirely. "We all like to think of ourselves as capable drivers, but in reality, it is very easy for drivers of any skill level to become distracted while driving and using a hand-held cellphone or electronic device," said Dr. Arnold. "By focusing only on the road we can help prevent harm to everyone, including ourselves."

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