Hands free driving legislation

VanIsle

Always thinking
Nov 12, 2008
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Apparently Ontario has banned the use of hand held cellular phones as of today. Word is that the BC Government will be doing the same at the end of January 2010. In my opinion, this law cannot take place fast enough.
New legislation banning the use of hand-held cellular phones in vehicles is now being enforced by police across the province. However, motorists are being given a three month grace period to change the way they use their cellphones behind the wheel. Police have said while they will stop Ontarians talking on cellular phones while driving, they won't be giving out tickets just yet.
The new legislation, Bill 118, took effect yesterday and prohibits drivers from using devices they must activate with their fingers or hands while behind the wheel of a vehicle. Texting, checking e-mail, changing information on a GPS system and holding a cellphone to your ear all now all illegal actions.
Luckily, there are several devices that motorists can pick from in order to gab with friends while driving and avoid breaking the new law.
 

Risus

Genius
May 24, 2006
5,373
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Toronto
I have a couple of problems with it. Cell phone users with a hands free device will still have to pick up the phone to dial, which is illegal. I think having people pull off to the side of the road to deal with a phone call will cause real problems. Truckers are still allowed to use their CBs,which doesn't seem right.
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
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How did we ever get along without cell phones? I remember when only a few of the wealthier people paid the nine hundred dollars or so to have a wireless phone installed in their car. Now, we all have cell phones and we've all turned stupid. What is now so damned important that we have to drive down the road with a cell phone glued to the side of our heads. Before cell phones we drove into the next service station and used their pay phone. Maybe cell phones reduce I.Q............:roll:
 
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JLM

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Nov 27, 2008
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How did we ever get along without cell phones? I remember when only a few of the wealthier people paid the nine hundred dollars or so to have a wireless phone installed in their car. Now, we all have cell phones and we've all turned stupid. What is now so damned important that we have to drive down the road with a cell phone glued to the side of our heads. Before cell phones we drove into the next service station and used their pay phone. Maybe cell phones reduce I.Q............:roll:

Right on.
 

TenPenny

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Jun 9, 2004
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Location, Location
How did we ever get along without cell phones? I remember when only a few of the wealthier people paid the nine hundred dollars or so to have a wireless phone installed in their car. Now, we all have cell phones and we've all turned stupid. What is now so damned important that we have to drive down the road with a cell phone glued to the side of our heads. Before cell phones we drove into the next service station and used their pay phone. Maybe cell phones reduce I.Q............:roll:

Do you remember Cannon??? Mobile Operator, get me....
 

Tonington

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Oct 27, 2006
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It's all optics. If you're concentrating on the conversation, you know, being a good listener, then you're not giving the road your full attention. People using hands-free/Bluetooth are still going to drift in and out of lanes, turn/change lanes without signalling, rabbet or tortoise through expressways, run red lights, turn without making sure it's safe to do so, etc, etc.
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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It's a needless law. There is already a law against driving with undo care and attention. Enforce existing laws before we make more.

Does there need to be a law against doing stupid things? Obviously there does or people wouldn't do these things. A couple days ago I was passing a car on the freeway. The car I was passing was in the right lane and just as I was passing him, he changed lanes right into me. I hit the brakes and steered wide. The guy was holding a cell phone on his left ear and was obviously engrossed in his conversation because when I hit my horn he almost drove off the road. I would say the law has to be clarified.
 

VanIsle

Always thinking
Nov 12, 2008
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It's a needless law. There is already a law against driving with undo care and attention. Enforce existing laws before we make more.
There is a charge for driving with undue care and attention. When it comes down to it, using your cell phone is driving with un-due care and attention. Kinda like putting your lipstick on while driving.
 

VanIsle

Always thinking
Nov 12, 2008
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It's all optics. If you're concentrating on the conversation, you know, being a good listener, then you're not giving the road your full attention. People using hands-free/Bluetooth are still going to drift in and out of lanes, turn/change lanes without signalling, rabbet or tortoise through expressways, run red lights, turn without making sure it's safe to do so, etc, etc.
People will still concentrate on their conversations just as they would with someone else in the car. At least they can have two hands on the wheel rather than holding a phone to their ear or worse yet - texting. I watch people texting and they can become quite good at it with one hand but with the keys so tiny, they do have to look at them. I'm wondering how arthritic their fingers will be in a few short years.
 

Tonington

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Oct 27, 2006
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Many people drive without two hands on the wheel, holding a coffee and talking on the phone while making a left turn with the cigarette hanging out of their mouth. Remove the cell phone from the hand, replace with hands-free, and it's still a distracted driver.

It's certainly better if people don't talk on phones at all. My point is that this will become another law, that probably isn't well enforced, and only targets one form of distraction. How successful can it be at reducing accidents? I'd really like to see an analysis of that. After a few years, lets see how the data for traffic accidents compares in jurisdictions with and without this type of legislation. I suspect there will be no significant difference. The void will be filled with something else.
 

Francis2004

Subjective Poster
Nov 18, 2008
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People will still concentrate on their conversations just as they would with someone else in the car. At least they can have two hands on the wheel rather than holding a phone to their ear or worse yet - texting. I watch people texting and they can become quite good at it with one hand but with the keys so tiny, they do have to look at them. I'm wondering how arthritic their fingers will be in a few short years.

I think you will always find people who are "Canada's Bad Drivers" and for the most part need to just drive home the point. Take away the Cell Phone and have them on Bluetooth and now the will have a coffee in hand as they talk. In the past they used to smoke cigarettes but now have the coffee in hand if on Bluetooth. It will always be something..

And while regular drivers are subjected to bans on their Cell, GPS and other devices, BC Transit drivers play with their Fareboxes, Police play with the Laptop, Truck Drivers with the CB or Two way Radio.

Heck we even were told PILOTS got so distracted they took a plane 240 km past the city of destination because they were too engrossed on their laptops.. I am not sure about you but I don't want to fly on an airplane a pilot is too busy not to respond to someone repeatedly calling them 8O
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
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How did we ever get along without cell phones? I remember when only a few of the wealthier people paid the nine hundred dollars or so to have a wireless phone installed in their car. Now, we all have cell phones and we've all turned stupid. What is now so damned important that we have to drive down the road with a cell phone glued to the side of our heads. Before cell phones we drove into the next service station and used their pay phone. Maybe cell phones reduce I.Q............:roll:

It's all them microwaves....
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
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It's a needless law. There is already a law against driving with undo care and attention. Enforce existing laws before we make more.
Exactly. It's kneejerk reaction. Driving without die care and attention is only charged when something drastic happens. Most of the time it is ignored, even when there's a cop around. How many times have we pulled up to a stop light behind some lady fixing her makeup or pull up behind a guy ogling the blonde walking down the sidewalk? People ignore signs all over the place, they change lanes illegally, they rarely signal where they are going, never look in the rear-view to see the mile or two of traffic lined up behind them, etc. It is all ignored by the cops except speeding, drunk driving, and when something drastic happens.
 

JLM

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Nov 27, 2008
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Exactly. It's kneejerk reaction. Driving without die care and attention is only charged when something drastic happens. Most of the time it is ignored, even when there's a cop around. How many times have we pulled up to a stop light behind some lady fixing her makeup or pull up behind a guy ogling the blonde walking down the sidewalk? People ignore signs all over the place, they change lanes illegally, they rarely signal where they are going, never look in the rear-view to see the mile or two of traffic lined up behind them, etc. It is all ignored by the cops except speeding, drunk driving, and when something drastic happens.

While we are on the subject of driving I may as well air my latest pet peeve. When you are trying to switch lanes (especially from left to right) and there is car slightly behind you, when he sees your signal but will not slow down to let you in and if you slow down to let him pass he does the same. Is it so friggin difficult to simply take your foot off the gas for 2 seconds?
 

AnnaG

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Jul 5, 2009
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While we are on the subject of driving I may as well air my latest pet peeve. When you are trying to switch lanes (especially from left to right) and there is car slightly behind you, when he sees your signal but will not slow down to let you in and if you slow down to let him pass he does the same. Is it so friggin difficult to simply take your foot off the gas for 2 seconds?
Those sorts of times I signal for 5 or 6 blinks and then just move into where I am going. They honk, I don't care.
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
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Exactly. It's kneejerk reaction. Driving without die care and attention is only charged when something drastic happens. Most of the time it is ignored, even when there's a cop around. How many times have we pulled up to a stop light behind some lady fixing her makeup or pull up behind a guy ogling the blonde walking down the sidewalk? People ignore signs all over the place, they change lanes illegally, they rarely signal where they are going, never look in the rear-view to see the mile or two of traffic lined up behind them, etc. It is all ignored by the cops except speeding, drunk driving, and when something drastic happens.

If we leave it up to a judge to determine what is "without due care and attention", these people will be getting off with a slap on the wrist. I think it has to be clear. If you use a hand-held phone while you are driving, you are guilty of an offense and the fine is $250.00 or whatever......IMHO
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
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If we leave it up to a judge to determine what is "without due care and attention", these people will be getting off with a slap on the wrist. I think it has to be clear. If you use a hand-held phone while you are driving, you are guilty of an offense and the fine is $250.00 or whatever......IMHO
I think you should modify that to if you have ANYTHING in your hands other than parts of the vehicle you are driving, you should get fined.