Cell Phones in Vehicles

[Charles Anthony]

For the rest,

Good call.

[August1991]

Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia have enacted jurisdiction-wide bans on driving while talking on handheld cell phones. California has passed a similar law that will go into affect in July, 2008. Many other states ban cell phone use in specific situations.

Link

Most of Europe (France, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, etc) have banned (hands on or all) cell phone use while driving. Link

In Canada, only Newfoundland has banned such cell phone use.

I'm surprised that other provinces have been slow to adopt this.

[August1991]

Transport Minister Julie Boulet announced Thursday that she will introduce a bill to ban the use of cell phones on Quebec highways, going further than a panel that made recommendations on highway safety.

Boulet also announced an 18-month pilot project testing photo radar at nine sites and at six traffic lights where drivers go through red lights.

Link

Other provinces will soon follow. I would ban cell phone use while driving on all roads, not just highways.

I'm not sure about the effectiveness of photo radar. I saw recently that based on US data, 80% of accidents are caused by driver distraction.

[White Doors]

Transport Minister Julie Boulet announced Thursday that she will introduce a bill to ban the use of cell phones on Quebec highways, going further than a panel that made recommendations on highway safety.

Boulet also announced an 18-month pilot project testing photo radar at nine sites and at six traffic lights where drivers go through red lights.

Link

Other provinces will soon follow. I would ban cell phone use while driving on all roads, not just highways.

I'm not sure about the effectiveness of photo radar. I saw recently that based on US data, 80% of accidents are caused by driver distraction.

handsfree would still be allowed or no?

Why don't they just cut to the chase and ban bad drivers?

Can we also ban, murders and robberies at the same time?

I think that would be nice.

[Mad_Michael]

handsfree would still be allowed or no?

Permitting handsfree cell phones in cars is a silly comprimise.

The danger of cell phone usage while driving comes not from the hand you use to hold the cell phone. That is essentially irrelevant.

The fact is, according to recent studies, if you use a cell phone while driving, you are the equivilent of a 70year old for reaction times and alertness.

[jester]

If you do Google for dangers of cell phones in cars you will get 1,980,000 listings. Seems they may be a bit dangerous then..........

[geoffrey]

The fact is, according to recent studies, if you use a cell phone while driving, you are the equivilent of a 70year old for reaction times and alertness.

Fair. Does that mean that if we ban cell phones (like Quebec is about to), that 70 year olds are an equal danger and they too should be banned from driving?

If so, I'm on board with this thinking. Those old people are scary and dangerous.

An insurance adjuster friend was talking to me about rates and stuff the other day, how old people really don't pay more... they were one of the groups he decided through his experience that cause a vast majority of accidents but aren't involved in any.

Case in point. We all have seen the guy stop on Deerfoot (or the 401, ect.) in the center lane, waiting for someone to let him in... when he should be going 100-110. These people often don't get in accidents. They get others killed though. More often than not, it's an older person, a woman distracted by 100 kids in the back of her minivan or an asian immigrant type.

Those that ever touch the brakes on a merge are in the same boat. Grr...

(I'm venting a little bit of my frustration at Calgary's drivers, the worse in Canada easily... they aren't only conservative in politics but in driving. Never before have I seen someone stop in a major merge lane to a 100km/h freeway. That'd get you killed on the 401, either by a car accident or an angry Torontonian).

[guyser]

Case in point. We all have seen the guy stop on Deerfoot (or the 401, ect.) in the center lane, waiting for someone to let him in... when he should be going 100-110. These people often don't get in accidents. They get others killed though. More often than not, it's an older person, a woman distracted by 100 kids in the back of her minivan or an asian immigrant type.

Those that ever touch the brakes on a merge are in the same boat. Grr...

(I'm venting a little bit of my frustration at Calgary's drivers, the worse in Canada easily... they aren't only conservative in politics but in driving. Never before have I seen someone stop in a major merge lane to a 100km/h freeway. That'd get you killed on the 401, either by a car accident or an angry Torontonian).

You have been away too long geoffrey. Try driving around Markham with all the new Hong Kong drivers, or the elderly that get on the roads after nine am.

I insure them.

As for gender, no one is immune, female male whatever, tons of bad drivers around here. I insure them .

[noahbody]

The simple solution would be for the insurance companies to refuse coverage to those who caused accidents while talking on cell phones.

[guyser]

The simple solution would be for the insurance companies to refuse coverage to those who caused accidents while talking on cell phones.

Impossible. Who would admit it? What about those who put on makeup, eat, read, fall asleep etc.

Careless driving is careless driving. The laws are there on the books. Banning cell phone yakking wont change a thing in my estimation.

[Wilber]

(I'm venting a little bit of my frustration at Calgary's drivers, the worse in Canada easily... they aren't only conservative in politics but in driving. Never before have I seen someone stop in a major merge lane to a 100km/h freeway. That'd get you killed on the 401, either by a car accident or an angry Torontonian).

Drives me crazy when that happens as well but I just finished hauling a 30 ft trailer through Montreal to Quebec City and Gaspe. Is there some kind of law that they can't exit the freeway from the right lane but have to cross three lanes to do it. I've never been carved in front of approaching off ramps so many times in my life and close to. Are these people such poor planners? Are they just plain stupid? Do they have a death wish? I ain't driving a freekin Ferrari. 17,000 lbs of pickup and trailer just won't stop, slow down or change direction very quick. All they have to do is clip my front corner and they are toast . Maybe me as well. There is nothing I could do about it.

It used to bug me even more when I used to haul horses. Do these people ever think what happens to those poor animals standing in that trailer when the driver has to hammer the brakes because some jerk cut in front of him at an intersection or cut him off, because to them, their need to get somewhere justifies putting someone else's life at risk.

There are both extremes.

[geoffrey]

It used to bug me even more when I used to haul horses. Do these people ever think what happens to those poor animals standing in that trailer when the driver has to hammer the brakes because some jerk cut in front of him at an intersection or cut him off, because to them, their need to get somewhere justifies putting someone else's life at risk.

There are both extremes.

One can drive assertively and not dangerously.

Very interesting thing about driving in Alberta compared to elsewhere... the right lane on a highway is often the fastest. I never really understood how this happens, but it's always that way. You have your poor planners cutting across 3 lanes here too, except they are on their brakes or stopping in flowing traffic waiting for others to stop to let them in.