Distracted Driving in Ontario

Folks let's not fool ourselves here, a distraction while driving is simply put, a distraction. Whether it is generated by the use of a radio (yes Cell phones
are radios too !), playing loud music or whatever else may be the case that could detract your attention from safely operating your vehicle.
Legislating what can and can't be done while operating our cars at this level is silly. Traffic laws are made so that people can obey them. If they don't they pay the consequences.
Ok so driving while intoxicated is illegal, that's a no-brainer. The illegality of the activity is almost always associated with the amount of potential collateral damage you
can do while participating in said activity (drinking, being drunk, talking on a cell phone etc). If somebody finds significant statistics that picking your nose while driving leads to higher incidences of accidents it doesn't mean they should outlaw nose-picking while driving. Because a limit is impossible to set on situations like these this issue will
forever remain a puzzling exercise in including some and excluding others. More job security for lawyers is all I have to say !.

 

Take heed of what the professional driver says, he's an expert. In Britain the police always close all lanes on roads even when the collisions are minor shunts because people are so gawpy they drive looking at the incident and not to their front and cause more minor shunts, or worse.

When laws are made they cannot cover all eventualities so they are blanket laws which tell us, don't use a phone while you are driving or you will be fined. Whether the police can use phones while driving is immaterial. How old do you have to be to accept that there are laws for some and not others ? Maybe some people can talk while driving, but what about those lunatics who tell everybody they can read and send Morse at 20 wpm while driving at 70 mph on a freeway !

 

Why do police officers always come up when talking about this subject? Think about it and use common sense. They use their cells for more reasons then making personal calls.

 

Some here would incarcerate you for 90 days if you have an accident when you are picking your nose - whether or not you were actually at fault, because if you were picking your nose, you are assumed to be at fault - guilty until proven otherwise. You'd get 5 years on a second offense. Others would require you to have your nose surgically removed before being allowed to drive, in order to reduce the threat that you might, indeed, pick your nose while driving. Those with no fingers would not be exempt.

Soon, any child caught running with scissors in school will be sent to juvenile detention and sentenced to life at hard labor.

The fact is that mobile operation is becoming difficult enough. Indeed, changes in auto technology are making it harder and harder to install a radio in a car and keep it working. I fear that this whole issue will become moot in a few years when we're all driving these vehicles that stop and restart the engine every time you stop the car.

We live in an era of absolutes, where 'zero tolerance' is worn like a badge of honor. Meanwhile, the sheeple go about their lives. Let the witch hunts begin!

 

I have seen accidents and many close calls while drivers are texting and talking on a cell phone. I even get onto my girlfriend when she is driving and using a cell. I grew up in the CB radio hay days. I was little but don't remember all the issues. You just set your channel and leave it alone. Same can be true for ham radio. However, if I come into traffic, I sign off or just throw the mic down and pay attention to the driving conditions. If the FCC wants to give me a fine for not IDing before signing off. That is fine with me. I'd rather have a fine than be dead.

 

Not if youre Italian.

 

I think if Cops , EMTs , Fire Fighters ,City workers Etc can drive with a Cell phone or talk on a radio with with the excuse of Training then allow the rest of us to get the same training / excuse . Yup its BS , i can see the training for this now will it be a 10 question exam . ok welcome to the Drive Talk Look program to day were going to use the Mic can you say Mic , Tommy put the donut down or did you pass the donut class . Will we get a discount on car insurance and a little plastic card that says i can talk . this is just a joke

 

I completely disagree. There is plenty of evidence to show that operating half duplex with a microphone is less distracting than full duplex with a receiver to your ear.

 

I completely disagree. There is plenty of evidence to show that operating half duplex with a microphone is less distracting than full duplex with a receiver to your ear.

 

ANything being done in New Brunswick? Currently useing amatuer radio moble is not permited unless actively envolved in a searh an rescue.

 

Some say they have yet to see an accident cause by amateur radio. Well, thats probably true. Why do you think that is? Could it be that there are very few of them on the road? Of course, no brainer, goes without saying. There are alot of "I" statements in these threads regarding this topic. No one wants to look at themselves and find a solution to the problem. Instead, only selfish motives and agendas. The U.S. DOT has pointed out a problem, a growing number of accidents involving fatalities, and serious injuries due to distracted driving. They have recommended to all states that they adopt strict laws regarding distracted driving. Since 1940, the population of the United States has more than doubled. What do you think has happened to the number of drivers? With more people on the road, more safety concerns are going to rise, another no brainer. The only legit use for using ANY electronic communications device, wether it is ham radio, cb radio, or cellphone use, is during an emergency. Perhaps it will take a serious accident to change some peoples minds.
We all need to take responsibility for the safety of our highways, and roads instead of shouting and complaining about restrictions placed on us in the interest of public safety.

 

Oh it will happen soon than later !!!!

 

...and like most other laws, it will happen incrementally to a willing electorate.

 

I think it is just as distracting as using cell phones, adjusting the radio in the dash, talking to the person next to you or screaming kids in the back seat. These bills and laws that are eventually passed are an attempt to regulate responsibility and to raise money for the local governments.

In fact I have been run of the road, in two separate incidences, by people so busy in conversation with the person in the passenger seat that they were so totally unaware of what they did.

From; http://www.drivers.com/article/423/

Specific Distraction % of Drivers

Outside person, object, or event 29.4%

Adjusting radio/cassette/CD 11.4%

Other occupant 10.9%

Moving object in vehicle 4.3%

Other device/object 2.9%

Adjusting vehicle/climate controls 2.8%

Eating and/or drinking 1.7%

Using/dialing cell phone 1.5%

Smoking related 0.9%

Other distractions 25.6%

Unknown distraction 8.6%

According to these stats, use of a cell phone is only 1.5% of all distracted driving accidents and the passenger caused 10.9%. Now, do the police ticket everyone with a passenger because according to these stats it causes more accidents then using a cell phone.

There might be more of an impact if instead of tickets they start taking licenses of those that cause an accident because they were distracted.

If they are caught driving while suspended then the police take the vehicles. This would have more of an impact on people that cause a problem.

This is really no different than gun control in that after a headline incident. Laws are threatened or enacted that do more to keep guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens than to attempt to curb the violence of criminals that don't follow these laws when they obtain their weapons.

Why should the majority be restricted because of problems caused by the minority? Makes no sense to me.

 

If you ask me, this whole issue is redundant, as most provinces have a law that covers this already. It's called "Undue care and attention while operating a motor vehicle". Look it up.

Dave VE4FH