They're going to ban the use of GPS in the car? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?
It has been a divisive issue since the very first telephone was installed in a car back in the days when you still needed to contact an operator to make a call. But now CityNews has learned the Liberal government at Queen's Park will be introducing a long sought bill to ban not only cell phone use behind the wheel in Ontario, but all electronic distractions in your car.
The bill will be introduced at 1:45pm next Tuesday.
It's not clear yet exactly what will be in the legislation, expected to be brought out for first reading by Transport Minister Jim Bradley, but there are reports it will prohibit all use of phones, BlackBerrys and GPS devices by drivers in this province, with the possible exception of hand's-free devices.
It appears the law will only apply to those behind the wheel and not passengers in the front or back seat.
The legislation comes after the Premier issued a major reversal on the issue. In November 2007, the suggestion of a car cell phone ban had been completely rejected by Dalton McGuinty. But he suddenly changed his mind in a public pronouncement last May, admitting he was mulling over the idea.
"I know what they've done in other provinces and other states: they've just dealt with one item, the cellphone," he mused back then. "I talk to the police and they say you could deal with one item, but there's more than just one item (distracting drivers). I've asked Bradley to take a look to see if there's something we might do, which deals with distractors generally, and I think in particular, electronic distractors."
It's believed the sweeping ban will also apply to the use of DVDs in a car, and be directed at drivers who put on a video when there's no one else in the vehicle with them.
Insiders are expected to get details of the penalties and the scope of the changes on the weekend before the bill is introduced in the Legislature on Tuesday.
Questions have already been raised about how a cell phone ban would be enforced. Brian Patterson, of the Ontario Safety League, has long advocated for the change. But he admits getting drivers to go along with it will be a challenge for police. "It's a good thing but it'll take some effort to implement it," he tells CityNews.ca. "It'll take some time to get a broad buy in."
And despite supporting the idea, he wonders how the cases will stand up in court.
As the penalties? "I think for sure we're going to see a fine for this, and it will be an offence under the Highway Traffic Act," Patterson suggests. "At the moment we don't know whether there will be points attached to that fine."
Still, he's sure it will ultimately be successful. "Good safety legislation does get adopted by the public," he points out, noting that many once balked at being forced to wear their seat belts.
He suspects like previous laws, there will be a grace period of 'educating drivers' before the full weight of fines and charges comes into effect.
What do drivers think of the change?
"I think that's a good idea, because every time I see people on cell phones they're always swerving or slowing down on the highway, and a lot of accidents happen from that," believes Cathy Ferguson.
"I think they should do it. They should have done it a long time ago," adds Connie Lister.
That reaction may not be the same one those who depend on their phones for business will share, but some motorists may surprise you - like the one CityNews found at Yonge and Dundas talking on her phone behind the wheel. "What about if I'm at a red light? It's okay then?" she asks. "I actually do agree with it, but I figure if I'm at a red light, it can't hurt anybody, right?"
But she's unlikely to hang up when that light turns green, and the law would target drivers just like her.
Other MPPs have tried to introduce private member's bills banning cell phones for years, most notably Durham's John O'Toole. But all his attempts to ram it through failed. With the Liberal majority at Queen's Park, that won't be a problem this time around.
It will take some time for the new bill to become law after its introduction and there's no word when the actual ban will go into effect.
If it happens as scheduled, it won't be without precedent. Many cities and countries already have a cell phone ban in place, but in Canada, there are only three. Newfoundland-Labrador has barred dialing and driving since 2003, while Quebec and Nova Scotia added their own restrictions last April.
But Ontario would be the first province in Canada to take it a step further.
Places Where Cell Phones Are Banned While Driving
Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador (Enacted April 1, 2003)
Quebec (Started April 1, 2008)
Nova Scotia (Started April 1, 2008)
