Hold the Phone!
Brad McNeill
It seems as though people are not adapting very well to the new law in Ontario regarding the “no personal handheld devices while driving”. My job requires me to be on the road the majority of the time, landing me in all the major highways weekly. Since this law has come into effect, I feel like I have seen more and more people on their devices then ever before.
While on highway 407 the other day, I was behind an undercover police cruiser when passed by a vehicle with the driver on his cell phone. His windows were not tinted making it easy to see the device up to his ear. When he realized the SUV in front of me was the police, he franticly dropped his cell phone causing him to swerve slightly. How the officer didn’t see him was surprising. After about 2km the police car got off the highway, and not even a minute later the man picks his phone back up.
At ISB Canada we supply accident reports for adjusters across the country, and I can’t help but think how many of them were caused by distracted driving. It’s something to keep in mind, especially with stats like this, “In 2010, distracted driving was a contributing factor in 104 collision fatalities in British Columbia” – RCMP
It really puzzles me with all the hands-free technology that is available that people would rather chance getting a $280 ticket or even worse getting into an accident that could cause death. I have Bluetooth in my car and I actually prefer to use it over the device on my ear, and the ticket! A $100-200 can change your life and possibly save someone else’s.
