Phone ban strict, but safe

The use of hand-held phones while driving in Ontario is now a thing of the past.

A new law came into effect yesterday making it illegal to use a cell phone to talk or text while behind the wheel of a car.

Hands-free devices like the Bluetooth system will still be permitted.

Ontario’s Ministry of Transport is enacting the phone ban to minimize driver distraction, which is a factor in an estimated 20 per cent of accidents on the road and has been found to create impairment levels similar to those caused by drunk driving.

Starting Feb. 1, violators will receive tickets up to a maximum fine of $500. Until then, driver using hand-held phones will merely be given a warning.

With driver distraction at an all-time high thanks to fancy features on new mobile phones, Ontario’s initiative to crack down on behind-the-wheel phone use comes at a good time.

The new law will help reduce the temptation to talk and text in traffic—something drivers easily succumb to while knowing it’s unsafe. Typing into a phone while driving is a foolish move that puts the driver’s safety at risk and jeopardizes the safety of others on the road. The availability of technologies like Bluetooth makes it possible for the province to enact the phone ban without denying drivers the right to make calls or send messages from their vehicle.

But Bluetooth might not be much safer than hand-held phones, considering it still provides the distraction of conversation. It’s important to look into the relative risks associated with this technology.

It’s unfortunate police won’t be enforcing fines until February. This grace period downplays the urgency of the new law—and warnings likely won’t act as much of a deterrent in the meantime.

Targeting technology users will be an effective way to promote road safety among young drivers—one of the populations most likely to rely on cell phones’ features, and also the most accident-prone demographic. Cell phones aside, there are many other in-car distractions drivers should be aware of. But the new legislation’s potential to drive down road fatalities is promising.

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