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Two more say: ‘Shut up and drive’
Que., N.S. to ban hand-held cellphone use behind the wheel THE CANADIAN PRESS
Monday March 31, 2008 MONTREAL – Two Canadian provinces are about to outlaw the use of hand-held cellphones behind the wheel, following the groundbreaking lead of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Quebec and Nova Scotia governments are hoping new laws coming into effect on Tuesday will promote vigilance among drivers and reduce the death toll on roads.
Hands-free devices will still be permitted in both provinces, but some safety advocates say hand-held phone bans are the wrong way to go.
Raynald Marchand of the Canada Safety Council says cellphone bans divert attention from the real issue.
‘‘Studies are showing that (cellphones are) not the problem,’’ said Marchand in an interview from Ottawa.
‘‘The problem is the degree of the distraction, whether it’s hand-held or hands-free. Hands-free is not distraction-free.’’
Some studies show that the risk of accidents still exists with hands-free devices because drivers still get distracted.
‘‘For many people hands-free may be worse because some studies indicate people tend to talk longer with hands-free, don’t pull over to the right and don’t slow down,’’ Marchand said.
‘‘I’m not sure that we’re doing the right thing here.’’
In Quebec, dialing while driving has been a serious issue on the road. Between 2000 and 2006, Quebec’s coroner’s office reported at least 24 deaths in which a cellphone was a factor in the fatal crash.
The most publicized case was the 2006 death of Bloc Quebecois MP Benoit Sauvageau, who plowed into the back of a tow truck in Repentigny, east of Montreal.
A coroner’s investigation showed that Sauvageau was distracted by an animated cellphone conversation with his wife.
Jean-Marie de Konick, who headed a road-safety task force that recommended a number of ways to improve safety on Quebec roadways, says his group initially looked at a full ban on any cellphone use in a car before police piped in that it would be impossible to enforce.
The taxi and trucking industry also balked at a full ban.
De Konick says an exhaustive report by Quebec’s public health institute demonstrated use of a cellphone, whether it be hands-free or hand-held, is just as dangerous.
In Quebec, the fine for using a hand-held cellphone in a car will be about $100. Police say they will hand out warnings instead of fines for the first three months.
The new law will bring heftier penalties in Nova Scotia, where drivers will face a $164.50 fine for a first offence.
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