Most people are aware by now that cellphones can be quite the distraction when one is behind the wheel.
Trying to text your friend about how boss your day was at the ski hill and where you two are going to meet up for Aprčs-ski while merging onto the highway and downing a piece of pizza that sat in your backpack for the better part of the day isn’t the wisest of choices, which is precisely why there are laws in most provinces and states against being on your cellphone while driving.
But, are some of these distracted driving laws, despite good intentions, counterproductive?
Let me throw this outlook on the table: Though texting while driving is very dangerous, as it takes one’s eyes off the road, talking while driving is no more dangerous than drinking a cup of coffee and listening to the radio.
Alberta’s distracted driving law covers a wide variety of infractions, including the use of hand-held cellphones, texting and emailing, using any electronic devices, such as laptop computers, video games, cameras, portable music players and even entering information into a GPS unit.
Drivers cannot read printed materials while operating a vehicle (such as a map or instructions how to reach a destination), write, print or sketch anything or even fix their hair if some personal grooming is needed.
It does not cover other distractions, such as beverages, changing the radio station or picking up the sippy cup your two year old just dropped on the floor and is screaming at you to retrieve.
The law also states that as long as you are not holding a device in your hand, it’s OK to use, so Bluetooth and speaker-phone is lawful — in other words, don’t hold your phone up for police to see.
The majority of the listed banned objects while driving are valid, but do they overreach, and even contribute to the very thing they attempt to remedy?
Because the use of hand-held devices are prohibited, and people could face a $172 fine if they are ‘talking’ on their phone, are drivers simply holding their phones down on their lap, out of sight of police to avoid being caught? Is this inadvertently adding to the danger of cellphone use while driving?
Distracted driving has become a huge concern since cellphones have become the norm, and recent studies have indicated that the issue is becoming as much a problem and just as dangerous as impaired driving.
But haven’t all generations driven while distracted by something or other?
Reading a map to know where you’re going; listening to the radio; playing ‘eye spy’ or ‘licence plates’ on a road trip; dealing with a crying child…there are so many distractions a person could face when on the road it’s hard to list them all in one column.
How is it that someone can drive down Deerfoot Trail at 110 km/hour, have music blasting and be drinking a coffee, smoking a cigarette (or both) and it not be considered distracted driving?
What is the difference between the above scenario and talking on a cellphone? For both situations, the driver would have their eyes on the road, one hand on the wheel and an audio distraction of some sort.
So, would the law work better if drivers were able to talk on their cellphones but not text? No.
Either way you’re going to have people hiding their phones trying to send a text to someone letting them know that they’ll be home soon. Sad thing, is if they’re texting, they may not be.
