“Do you have your hands-free device yet?”

October 13, 2009 on 9:08 pm | In Announcements | Comments Off

According to reliable news release sources, October 26^th is the date for the introduction of the ban on the use of hand-held devices while driving a vehicle in Ontario.

This would ban the use of BlackBerrys or any other electronic device to talk, email or text while operating the vehicle.

We’ve heard that police will give us a three-month period to become educated in this requirement but that by next February we could expect to be ticketed. Fines could range from $60-$500 but with no demerit points attached to the penalty.

Hands-free devices are exempt so far, provided they allow voice-activated dialing.

Be careful though as authorities can still charge any driver with careless driving, if they have sufficient evidence. Careless driving really means ‘driving a vehicle on a highway without due care and attention’ and carries a maximum fine of $1,000 and can involve a jail term as well as a license suspension. Serious stuff eh!

If you have started watching the new TV series “Trauma” you were recently shown just what can happen when someone gets so involved with texting while driving at higher speeds on a freeway. The driver caused a very serious crash involving a number of vehicles one of which was a tanker loaded with a flammable liquid which eventually exploded causing even more injuries to innocent parties. It was a very realistic sequence of events with devastating consequences. All of the statistical evidence acquired by the authorities, legal, insurance, medical and others would certainly support the fact that distracted drivers cause accidents.

This new law deals with only one of the means of distraction that we are faced with on a daily basis while driving a vehicle. The real question is “do we have to have everything legislated?” Drivers must be responsible and always held accountable for their actions.

Remember the old 60’s hit parade song “keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel!”