Hand Held Cell Phones Use While Driving to Be Banned in B.C.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 02:29 PM

Prince George, B.C. - As of January 1st 2010, the use of hand- held cellphones, portable electronic devices and text messaging while driving will be against the law in B.C.

"We're taking action today because British Columbians have made it clear they support stronger restrictions on cellphones and other devices that take a driver's hands off the wheel and their eyes from
the road," said Solicitor General Kash Heed Heed. "Simply put, you cannot talk, type or dial on any hand-held device while driving."

Changes to the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) upon legislative approval are to take effect on Jan. 1, 2010. At that point, only hands-free cellphones and devices that require one touch to activate will be permitted.
Drivers in the Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) will not be permitted to use hands-free phones in addition to other prohibited activity.

A new fine in the amount of $167 will begin to be levied on Feb. 1, 2010. If drivers are caught texting or emailing they will receive an additional three penalty points. Further, drivers in the Graduated Licencing Program will receive the $167 fine and three penalty points for any violation of this legislation.

According to independent research and studies, cellphone use while driving is the number-one cause of distracted driving. On average, about 117 people die each year in B.C. and 1,400 are sent to hospital because someone was not paying attention behind the wheel.

In the coming months, government will launch an awareness campaign to educate drivers on the new law and the importance of paying attention to the road, pedestrians and other cars around them.

Prohibited actions and devices
* No operating or holding hand-held cellphones or other electronic devices.
* No sending or reading emails and/or texting (e.g., BlackBerry, PDA, cellphone).
* No operating or holding hand-held music or portable gaming devices (e.g., MP3 players, iPods).
* No manual programming or adjusting GPS systems, whether built into the vehicle or not, while driving. Settings must be programmed before driving.

Permitted actions and devices
* Hands-free cellphones that are built in or securely fixed to the vehicle, and used by pressing a single button - once only - in order to activate a hands-free device for incoming or outgoing calls.
* Pre-programmed and voice-activated GPS devices.
* Two-way radios for industry (e.g., trucking, logging, oil and gas).
* Any of the above devices can be used if the vehicle is legally parked and not impeding traffic.
* Call 9-1-1 to report an emergency.

Graduated License Drivers (GLP)
* In addition to the above restrictions and permitted actions, new drivers are prohibited from using hands-free communications devices, (e.g., cellphones), while driving.

Exemptions to the legislation include police, fire and ambulance personnel who may need to make calls in the performance of their duties, and motorists who need to call 9-1-1.

These changes bring British Columbia in line with the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. Alberta recently announced that it intends to introduce
similar distracted driving legislation this fall.

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Posted on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 02:29 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: opinionated on October 21 2009 5:04 PM

This is a good thing. Now let's stop people from driving with small dogs on their laps.
Kash Heed is doing a good job.

Posted by: RUEZ on October 21 2009 5:48 PM

We were told it was already illegal as it was a dangerous activity. I'm not against the law but I don't believe people will abide by it and make roads safer.

Posted by: jonnypg on October 21 2009 6:20 PM

About time!

Posted by: diplomat on October 21 2009 6:24 PM

Many drivers routinely ignore stop signs, speed limits, double lines...they tailgate and harrass others, etc.

Speed limits are regularly exceeded by 15 to 20 km/h everywhere in town.

They WILL NOT pay any attention to the new cell phone prohibition either.

Children learn this errant behaviour from their parents and they often just continue the family tradition.

Police presence is sporadic or non-existent in everyday traffic.

Nothing is going to change.

Posted by: rambleon on October 21 2009 7:10 PM

Is it fair to assume the RCMP will continue to needlessly operate their in car computer systems while driving?

Posted by: MrPG on October 21 2009 7:46 PM

Much of the time when I see people driving erratically, they're on a cell phone yapping away.

I agree this is a good thing, but it seems that you can't please some people no matter what.

Posted by: billposer on October 21 2009 8:43 PM

This is long overdue. Sure, some people will ignore the law, but with enforcement and education it should reduce the use of cellphones by drivers substantially.

Posted by: RUEZ on October 21 2009 10:14 PM

We need police enforcement of current laws, not just new ones.

Posted by: taxinapothole on October 21 2009 10:26 PM

you are so right RUEZ

Posted by: Clean on October 21 2009 10:57 PM

Good idea.
At least now all those hot young girls can attempt watching the road instead of texting all their friends.

It may allow them to graduate from their big N on the back trunk

Posted by: supertech on October 22 2009 12:06 AM

OMG--another stupid law by the BC liberals. Anything for another way to fine us. So install a permanent calphone in your car--that's not a hand-held is it? Stupid law. Some cars have factory cel phones now.

Posted by: rambleon on October 22 2009 12:07 AM

Let me preface my comment by making it known that I believe that testing while driving is very dangerous, and would like to see less of it.

However, is there a need to make a new law to "combat" it? It seems to me that texting/e-mailing while driving falls under the umbrella of "driving with undue care and attention" if it was actually a true problem. It seems that this isn't an easily ticketable offense, hence the creation of a new revenue generating offence.

It concerns me that changing the channel of my satellite radio today is fine and tomorrow it costs me over a hundred bucks. Where does it stop?

Let's attack the real problems on the road like people who don't know how to merge, people who blow red lights, those who can't grasp the concept of lane etiquette and blue hairs that are too oblivious to understand there are other things happening in the world outside their next game of bridge. However, let's do it with laws we already have, not just make up new ones that allow easy-pickin's for the ticket writers.

To think this all comes out within days of this statement - "Between 2004 and the end of 2008 , there were 2,390 fatal crashes in B.C. in which the driver had fallen asleep, extreme fatigue was a contributing factor in more than a thousand fatal crashes." Why are the priorities REALLY on electronic devices?

Posted by: rambleon on October 22 2009 12:09 AM

The first statement should say "texting" not "testing," obviously.

Posted by: newtechie on October 22 2009 7:04 AM

It's a good law. I've had people driving behind me or beside me who where texting and distracted. These people have either almost rear-ended me (thank god I used the long-slow-down technique to get their attention) or they have almost side swiped me.

I've honked my horn a number of times to get people to become aware that they are drifting into my lane and all they do is straigten out and continue texting. Their eyes are NOT fixed on the road but instead they are fixed on their electronic device.

Now you're probably going to see some passengers in vehicles using their phones to video tape these drivers, then video tape their licenses and hand it over to the police who will then make an arrest.

Posted by: Shellshadow on October 22 2009 8:02 AM

I believe they did not go far enough. The main problem with cell phones of any kind, hand held or otherwise is that you are not paying attention to your driving. It is the converstion itself that creates lack of concentration on your driving. Hands free is no better than the others IMO. They all should be band in the car while driving.

Posted by: Jimmi on October 22 2009 8:28 AM

This better not mean that an Ipod can't be turned on in a vehicle....

Posted by: newtechie on October 22 2009 8:50 AM

As long as you're not wearing headphones or earphones then I understand there's no problem with Ipods.

Posted by: metalman on October 22 2009 9:19 AM

How about reading the newspaper, looking at a road map, shaving, applying makeup, stuffing your gob with a breakfast sandwich, drinking hot coffee or whatever poofter-cino you favour, or having a lap dog loose, while you are driving? Do we have to have new laws and fine structures for these IDIOTIC actions as well?
metalman.

Posted by: MrPG on October 22 2009 9:44 AM

I see far more drivers yapping on cell phones and not paying attention than more of the other distracting activities described above.

Is that phone call so important that people want to risk getting in an accident? Texting while driving is the ultimate in stupidity.

Posted by: heidi1555 on October 22 2009 10:21 AM

I'm sure most people have seen the video on youtube by now about texting while driving.
It is extremely graphic so youtube wants you to verify your age before viewing.

It's very disturbing so be prepared!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGE8LzRaySk

"Texting While Driving (Very Graphic)
by Mark Baker
4:15
EVERY driver should see this, especially teenagers. It is very graphic and is recommended for 18 and older but if they wait till 18 to see it, they may not reach 18. As a firefighter, I see this stuff all too often. PARENTS: Watch this by yourself first then WITH your kids. Explain to them that if they HAVE TO phone or text, pull over and stop in a SAFE location first, THEN use the phone."

Posted by: Retired on October 22 2009 10:46 AM

I�m going north on Ospika in the outside lane the other day when I catch up to this rig it�s a sleigh that some guy has put wheels under as there is no snow yet. He is wearing a red coat with this peaked hat that has a tassel on the end. And you wont believe this but its being pulled by eight tiny reign deers. He�s on the Cell phone making a left turn at Ospika and 15th. He�s on the center line using both turn slots. People are flashing their lights and blowing their horns.

He cut off the guy behind him making a right turn into Timmy�s. The guy is blowing his horn and shaking his fist but the old guy just keeps on trucking. He�s at the order board still on his phone. The person at the desk doesn�t know if they are being talked to or what�s happening. When he gets to the takeout window the old girl almost hawks up her faults teeth. She hands him his donut and coffee that was finally ordered. He gives her twenty bucks and says keep the change. He mutters something about these Prince George drivers are the mos t stupid in the world all they ever do is whine about my driving habits.

He tweaks his nose and he�s off towards the horse in the sky. He is last seen in the Casino Hotel parking lot with a fist full of money heading for the entrance.

Posted by: Harbinger on October 22 2009 12:10 PM

Maybe I can buy a cellphone disguised as a Big Mac. I could tell the cop that I could "hear" the flavour.

Posted by: Pylot Project on October 22 2009 12:51 PM

This is a good thing as long as it's enforced by the police. If it' enforced with the same ineffective weakness of many other road "laws", then this whole procedure is moot.

To nail cell-phone yacking drivers there will need to be proof of the infraction. Are the police going to set up cameras with telescopic lenses instead of radar guns?

I suppose the only other way to prove the infraction would be to get a warrant for cell phone usage records. Do you think the police will bother for a $167 fine?

Posted by: MrPG on October 22 2009 1:04 PM

"To nail cell-phone yacking drivers there will need to be proof of the infraction. Are the police going to set up cameras with telescopic lenses instead of radar guns?"

Probably similar to the way they catch people not wearing their seatbelt. I also think this law will be weakly enforced. It will be something they tack onto a speeding ticket if they're in a bad mood that day.

Posted by: caranmacil on October 22 2009 8:57 PM

Ha ha ha! Still laughing at the suggestion that all cell phone use be banned to eliminate the distraction of conversation! I knew someone would go for it. Dateline 2010: all new cars sold in BC must be equipped with a cone of silence to prevent distracting conversation with passengers.....

Posted by: acrider54 on October 23 2009 5:47 AM

What ever happened to the Liberal law " It will be against the law to run a deficit" Hmmmmm Liberals just make laws to pad their buddies pockets. WAtch out for vehicles parked all over the roads creating more of a hazard.