Cell phone legistlation is a good step to making the roads safer

CAA is encouraged by a recent announcement at Queen’s Park to introduce legislation aimed at addressing driver distraction.
“We are happy to see that the government is taking the right steps to keep our roads safer,” says CAA Provincial Affairs Specialist Kris Barnier.
“Our members have been raising safety concerns about the use of cell phones and other communication devices while driving for years and it looks like our leaders are listening.”
In 2005, CAA helped gather the world’s leading experts for a distracted driving symposium, the first of its kind. We followed that up with a call to action for every province to bring forward distracted driving legislation.
Since then, CAA has worked with MPP Kevin Flynn on a Private Members bill; it met with the Premier’s office and successive Transportation Ministers and their staff on this issue. The CAA even ran its own campaign called “The Glare” to get the message out that driving while distracted puts lives at risk.
A decided majority of CAA members believe distraction associated with cell phones is greater than any other distraction. Research shows that the use of electronic portable devices while driving puts people at a considerable risk for an accident or fatality. In fact, 20 per cent of all collisions can be attributed to driving distracted. Safety should always be the number one priority on roadways.
CAA reminds motorists that everyone has a duty to eliminate all distractions while driving by changing their own behaviours. Employers can implement policies and awareness programs in the workplace, and automobile manufacturers can focus more effort on reducing in-car driver distractions.