The past few days they have been talking about banning cell phones while driving in the legislator, ironically at the same time I was speaking with some people down in California about that exact thing. In California it is already banned and fines are handed out if you are caught holding your cell phone while driving. So we were discussing a new feature in Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles called Sync. It is powered by Microsoft and is a hands free solution to well, almost everything, but the point is not about what it can do. The point more or less is there are solutions if cell phone use is banned.
I can see both sides but I have to say I lean more on the side of banning it, especially in Yellowknife. Before you jump on my back just hear me out and then you can definitely have your say in the comment section. Over the last 2 weeks alone I have encountered 2 situations of driver while on the cell phone. The first, I just could not believe. I was on my way home on a Friday afternoon down Franklin just passing the Aven Manor when a driver came up beside me going the same direction. When I glanced over, I couldn’t believe what I saw, this person was steering with what I assume to be their leg because it definitely wasn’t there hands. Both their hands were occupied with “other” things. One hand holding a cell phone and the other a cigarette. The other incident was with a commercial van driver nearly cutting into my truck because they were, you guessed it, not paying attention while on their cell phone.
There are many solutions nowadays for hand free cell phone use, whether it is built in your vehicle or just a bluetooth headset. I guess another question would be determining if the problem is using your hands while on the phone or just being on the phone with someone.
What are your thoughts on this topic? For or against?
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There are many reasons to be opposed to banning cell-phone use while driving. Legitimate reasons might include:
- We already have legislation that covers distracted driving.
- This is not a legislative priority. Other things are more important.
- This IS important, but we can’t get it done right now and need to focus on other things that we can actually accomplish on the timeline we’ve set for ourselves.
- That piece of legislation needs a complete overhaul. A cell-phone ban should be included in the re-write.
Those are not the reasons the MLAs voted against this motion. They voted against it because their constituents do not have cell phones.
Honestly, I find this offensive. They are supposed to be working for the good of everyone. You would never ever hear a Yellowknife MLA saying that most of his constituents don’t hunt caribou, so we don’t need a Wildlife Act.
If we don’t need to ban cell-phone use by drivers, let’s actually talk about that. Throwing it back at Northwestel is ridiculous. We are never going to have full coverage everywhere.
I’m completely for the ban on cellphone use while driving. Almost every teenager uses their cellphones while behind the wheel, and even being in the passenger seat while this is happening horrifies me. So many of my close friends have gotten in small, if not huge accidents due to texting while driving. It’s SO unsafe, and sure, maybe there are things that are more important, and I have absolutely no idea on how long it takes to pass a legislation like this one, but I doubt it would be something that months were spent on.
If banning the use of cellphones while driving could save just one life of a child in the NWT, or anywhere for that matter, it would be worth it. To say that preventing even just a few deaths and serious injuries “isn’t important” is just inconsiderate.
I definitely think that clearer laws would need to be set in place, but as somebody in the main age group that text messages while driving constantly, even I think this is a good idea. I might regret saying that for when I get my license, but I know that I would never be able to forgive myself if I hurt somebody else because I couldn’t wait ten minutes to text somebody, and if my government is willing to help prevent injury and death, then I’m all about that.
“I guess another question would be determining if the problem is using your hands while on the phone or just being on the phone with someone.”
Both. Being on the phone means you’re distracted. Using one hand to hold the phone means you’re distracted AND you have one less hand to use for driving.
I rather agree with Megan that there is no need for one more law that would probably be poorly enforced at best. What I think would be much more to the point is to make driver training mandatory for all classes of license. Right now you only have to pass the tests, which do very little to address safe driving, even in the commercial licenses. Clearly, drivers don’t know elementary things like yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, and not parking on a railway crossing to go have a chat with a guy across the street (seriously). So I think there should be a mandatory course with a heavy focus on behavioural safety.
We only drive 40 kms per hour. There are hardly ever any accidents here and cell phones have been around for awhile. I don’t think there’s needs to be any ban. It’ll just give Municipal Enforcement yet another job to do or reason to pull us over.
Anything that takes away the drivers focus of actually driving is a risk to safe driving; be it noisy kids, reading your text messages, or talking on the phone.
It’s likely the same people complaining about having to reduce their speed in a school zone that are protesting a ban on cell phones while driving.
Its not like you’re driving all that long, you;re in Yellowknife, don’t answer your phone, call the person back, or if it is a must answer, find a safe spot to pull over and talk to them. Even if the ban was quashed by our less than responsible leaders, practice safe driving, I do.
Jason… have you ever been hit by a car going 40-45km? I have not… but I don’t thing it would be very pleasent… that’s not a good argument…. but i do think the “driving while distracte” law covers it and should be enforced to cover cell phone use…