Ontario Law: Demerit Points for Texting While Driving - Bill 118
© Duchess O’Blunt, 2010; all rights reserved.
Common Sense and Safety
It seems that common sense and safety is not often adhered to unless we put a penalty to ignoring them.
While technology is wonderful, there are always those who misuse them and create dangerous, and often fatal mistakes while doing so.
When Will We Ever Learn?
- CELL PHONES AND DRIVING................WHY
IF YOU HAVE A HABIT OF SCANNING OVER, (WE ALL DO AT TIMES), CERTAIN HUBS BEFORE COMMENTING OR RATING, PLEASE DON'T DO IT WITH THIS ONE. THIS IS A MUST READ, PLEASE READ, THE HUB, (AND VIEW THE VIDEOS), IN... - Cell Phone Use and Texting While Driving=Danger
I was inspired me to write this hub was on Sunday as I was driving to work (I am a Critical Care Nurse at a local hospital) on the interstate and I came upon an emergency vehicle that was driving very slowly....
Bill 118 - Ontario Bans Hand Held Devices
Talking or texting while driving has been added to the traffic offenses that our Ontario police officers will be allowed to charge for.
Violation of the new Bill 118 will carry a $500 fine and will include demerit points, depending on the violation. Several provinces and some states have already passed similar legislations.
Cell phones have quickly become a leading cause of car crashes. The use of cell phones while driving has caused over 200 deaths and a half a million injuries each year. Studies have proven that drivers on a cell phone are four times as likely to be in a car crash. Talking on one reduces your reaction time by 9% and slows you down by 19% in braking. I expect the statistics are much higher when the use involves texting while driving. Source
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When Cell Phone Use is Allowed
Executives, entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors, firemen, police officers, and you and I have quickly become dependent on the constant accessibly of cell phones.
It seems a little odd that we have been conditioned to turning them off, or at least on vibrate only, when in a meeting or even at the movies, but we have not yet conditioned ourselves to driving with them off. Safety seems to be less important than making that deal, watching for the latest "Tweets", or updating facebook and myspace.
How many people do you know personally who try to operate their own "rolling office" while traveling down the highway?
Bill 118 clearly states:
No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a highway while holding or using a hand-held wireless communication device or other prescribed device that is capable of receiving or transmitting telephone communications, electronic data, mail or text messages.
Exceptions for using a wireless communication or entertainment devises
- In hands-free mode. Don't hold it.
- Using any devise while pulled over or parked - as long as you are not disrupting traffic
- A commercial GPS must be built in and hands free or mounted on the dashboard and hands free
- Ambulances
- Fire Departments
- Law Enforcement
Please be aware that this Bill also pertains to laptops, MP3s, hand held gaming devices and iPods, unless you have an integration kit and can adjust the tunes through your car radio.
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Will This Affect Sales?
Once the law has been enforced and ordinary people like you and I are ticketed and start loosing money or seeing those demerit points start to add up (causing our insurance prices to rise), we might actually learn to apply some common safety rules to the use of our cell phones.
Will that affect sales? I highly doubt it. The manufacturers will in fact likely increase their sales if they are smart and build their marketing around promoting the hands free.
People will always adapt, and those who manufacture products for people will adapt right along with them. Bluetooth technology will undoubtedly have to improve and become more user friendly, but when looking at the bottom line, I can certainly see it happening.
I fully expect to see somewhere in the near future the development of some sort of device that will recognize when the phone is moving and set it to a silent ring or send calls automatically to voice mail. (or something similar).
How Will This Affect You and I?
It's time for me to upgrade my GPS system anyway. Chickee Poo has gone the way of the Doh Doh Bird, and I will need to replace her. (Chickee Poo is my current GPS)
We will adjust, and if you are anything like me, you will adapt to a newer technology.
The newer technology will adapt and adjust to the new rules.
Although it will once again affect our pocket books while we adjust with more new toys, the rules are there for our safety. When we cannot do for ourselves.....
Uh huh, it will cost us one way or another. Isn't that always the way?
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Comments
Dutchess - Yes. A road test plus an intelligence test. Both.Think we'll ever see the two together? :-)))
Oh, I so agree Carmen.
Highly unlikely Gus, but what a great idea. Feel like bringing that to the attention of the lobbyists?
Really informative stuff our duchess of oblunt--Thank You--Wishing you a peaceful Tuesday night....
My pleasure Lisa Luv! And you have a peaceful evening as well :)
In Colorado we could only get this law for those under 18 which is ridiculous because my daughter turns 18 in November and what policeman will know her age? If he pulls her over thinking she is 17, he might be charged with harassment. Well, she doesn't use her phone, but if she did, I would prefer she be pulled over no matter her age! I applaud Ontario's bravery. Colorado lobbyists are ridiculous in my opinion!
We have had this law in India since a few years now ... but the tragedy is no one obeys traffic rules here!
Storyleller Sometimes the people who make the laws, you have to ask, where is there collective head? Surely there are more than one person involved? How does being 18 change anything?
I have never heard that before. Forgive me I just don't get the logic behind that law.
Jaspal, at least in theory you are ahead of us. It really doesn't matter unless the law is enforced though does it? Interesting
Duchess,
It had to be done! I have seen people driving dangerously, passed them and surprise, surprise they are not only using the phone but texting. It is insane. Perhaps the new legislation will save a few lives. Thanks for the information. Here's hoping it catches on.
Oh, it has to be done R Burrow, no doubt about it. The movie, 7 pounds, is a perfect example of why it has to be done! If you haven't watched it, you should, it gives a poignant picture of the results of texting while driving.
I agree with you it is insane what some people will do while driving. I like Gus The Redneck's idea, everyone who takes a driving test should be made to take an intelligence test as well. At the very least a test on common sense and safety.
Thanks for adding your support to the idea. Need more of that kind of thinking and the roads would be a much safer place.
That should be a law everywhere! The only thing "hand held" when your driving should be the steering wheel!
Bang on Nancy! Thanks for stating it so well. Two sentences says it all.
Amazing that we need laws to tell us things that common sense should, and then we complain that we are treated as children. I've seen people driving while, eating, using the cell phone and brushing their hair -- all at the same time. Are any of us so important we have to be reachable and in touch at all times? Great law!
Funny you need to ask that question, because I certainly know some people who think they must be accessible at all times. Something's not right about that picture!
Good for your place in passing this law. I wrote a hub about 10 things I hate while driving and texting or calling on the cell phone while driving is one of my pet peeves. But I can see the law still allows hands-free. There's a study (I forgot where I read that, honestly) that talking on a cell phone, even on a hands-free mode, still affects the driver's concentration. Oh well, one step at a time I think. Thanks for this hub Duchess. Hope we can have a similar bill passed here. Oh wait, I think we do, we just don't implement it that much (what else is new?) *sigh*
Baby steps emievil. Unfortunately it generally takes people dieing before anything constructive is done. Let's hope that doesn't happen! I read your hub and agreed 100%.
Common Sense seems to be a rare commodity doesn't it?
LOL, I just remember one of my favorite quotes (from my university professor who is also a lawyer), 'common sense is not so common anymore'. And that made sense :).
very true
I wish the USA would pass a law like this one. My car has On Star. It is hands free and I use it only if I have to use it. I don't need any help at being a terrible driver I come by it naturally. If I ever have money the first thing I will do is hire a chauffeur. I just hate seeing people drive with a cell phone up to their ear. It endangers everyone around.
Teresa
eventsyoudesign...I do believe there are some states who do have this law. In fact, I THINK California was one of the first. I could be wrong though, it's been known to happen :)
I appreciate your idea about what to do with some of the millions won from a lottery. I fully expect that will be me some day (Ha!)
Thanks for your comments
Carmen Borthwick 2 years ago
Talking and texting should be banned while driving worldwide. If only it could be enforced, Duchess OBlunt, what a much safer highway it would be.