Ontario may ban cell phones while driving, your thoughts?

Hey guys,

There is talks of a possible cell phone ban while driving in Ontario. A few other provinces have already implemented this law.

What are your thoughts about this new possible cell phone ban?

Please give your vote in the poll.

Thanking you,

Admin

Do we have a full text version of this????

Here's what is banned:

* cellphones, even at a stop light

* dialing

* BlackBerrys

* texting

* hand-held GPS

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/ ... orontoHome

It's a half cocked and poorly worded proposed law, though I do support it somewhat!

Hand held or hands free, the studies that the Liberals have produced, show there is no difference.

Why not include radios, billboards and bumper stickers and any advertising on any vehicle, such as the website you see on the rear of Durham regions cruisers, all distractions

Also some on the GPS units I have seen should not be mounted on the dash as they surely interfere with the view of the road, we also have!

73. (1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle upon a highway, (a) with any sign, poster or other non-transparent material or object placed on the windshield or on any window of such motor vehicle; or

( b ) with any object placed in, hung on or attached to the motor vehicle,

in a manner that will obstruct the drivers view of the highway or any intersecting highway. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 73 (1).

IMO, just another cash grab, No demerit points=No disputes!

I used to be in favor of banning cell phones while driving but I just don't trust this government to write fair and balanced legislation. It seems to me the same thing occurred just recently:

1. we have a problem with street racing

2. let's write a law about it

3. let's charge thousands of people who aren't street racers

If a cop sees someone with their hand against their ear they're going to be pulled over and issued a ticket: What's that? You don't own a cell phone? Well they're so small these days, you're probably just hiding it from me. Unfair you say? Well join the line. It starts behind all those people who were never convicted of street racing but lost their cars anyway.

I used to be in favor of banning cell phones while driving but I just don't trust this government to write fair and balanced legislation.

Queen's Park is built on the site of a former insane asylum. Coincidence?

ticketcombat wrote:

I used to be in favor of banning cell phones while driving but I just don't trust this government to write fair and balanced legislation. It seems to me the same thing occurred just recently:

1. we have a problem with street racing

2. let's write a law about it

3. let's charge thousands of people who aren't street racers

If a cop sees someone with their hand against their ear they're going to be pulled over and issued a ticket: What's that? You don't own a cell phone? Well they're so small these days, you're probably just hiding it from me. Unfair you say? Well join the line. It starts behind all those people who were never convicted of street racing but lost their cars anyway.

X2

ticketcombat wrote:

I used to be in favor of banning cell phones while driving but I just don't trust this government to write fair and balanced legislation. It seems to me the same thing occurred just recently

A-bloody-men to that!

I'm still in favor of banning all cell phone use while driving ("hands-free" just makes it less immediately obvious why that donkey in front of you is bumbling around the highway in search of an accident) but I heartily agree that we seem to have a problem with the present bunch of Ontario law makers. They made a mess of it with street racing and they're going to make a mess of it again, if they should give this a shot. Enacting a simple, enforceable ban on cell phone use while driving would seem to be more than they can manage. Pity.

This law is just another lame excuse for a cop to stop you. If he sees your head looking down towards your lap he can stop you with the assumption that you were texting on a crackberry in your lap.

I agree with banning cell phone use, though.

agree with it in principle....but I have no faith that the clowns at Queens Park will get it right

pretty sure that there are a slew of current HTA charges that could be laid while someone is driving like a tard with a cell.....no need to waste time/money on more new laws

and if someone gets dinged for making a short call while stopped in a traffic jam....well that's just dumb and unfair....but according to MOT Bradley, 2 hands on the wheel at all times or you're reckless

Mr. Bradley's comments seem to contradict the act of driving with a manual gear-box to boot

PetitionGuy, I forgot to post the info I promised you after we spoke. I have now posted it and you can find it in the Letter to Ontaro Legisature thread.

Sorry for my delay.

I'm actually about to buy my FIRST cell phone (fought the trend as long as I could, LOL). Whether this law passes or not, it will come with a Bluetooth ear-piece simply because I want to have both hands available for quick saves from other drivers making mistakes.

As much as I hate being affected by distracted drivers on a cell phones, I don't agree with this law. I was 16 when CB's were all the rage. You weren't considered "with-it" if you didn't have a big antenna stuck to your trunk lid. Yet I don't remember ANY fuss about CB use. Probably because CB's were really limited to young-to-middle-aged men who seemed to be able to multitask just fine. But now cell phones are in the hands of EVERYONE and, once again, we're seeing legislation being passed that unjustly affects those who DON'T go careening out of control just because they're telling their wife they're running a little late.

Here's how I think driving while on a phone CAN be safe:

Tell the person you're speaking with that you are driving at the time, so the conversation may become somewhat erratic (you may have to drop the phone in your lap, or "tune out" the other person while focusing on more important matters. I already do this all the time... If you have a wife that talks a lot (everyone) then you know you have to have them repeat the odd sentence a moment or two after all your attention was directed to a traffic situation.

I'm not sure how prosecutions will be handled. Would the Crown not have to prove there was an actual discussion taking place? Maybe I was just trying to look cool by holding a calculator to my ear! Don't laugh, I remember when Canadian Tire sold fake car-phone antenna's, LOL.

I think the only way you can stop cell phone use will be to get rid of automatic transmissions and revert back to big, clunky four-on-the-floor's! In the mean time, police should just follow the "yacker" until she makes her next turn with no blinker (it WILL happen!) and promptly write a ticket under existing statutes.

I'm driving through an intersection today and the guy in the oncoming lane almost cuts me off trying to make a left turn. He's smoking a cigarette and talking on his cell phone. I would have honked but he was a cop in a marked cruiser. DOH!

ticketcombat wrote:

He's smoking a cigarette and talking on his cell phone. I would have honked but he was a cop in a marked cruiser. DOH!

Is smoking in a city vehicle not against some city by-law?

Hopefully no young offenders were in the back seat!

BelSlySTi wrote:

ticketcombat wrote:

He's smoking a cigarette and talking on his cell phone. I would have honked but he was a cop in a marked cruiser. DOH!

Is smoking in a city vehicle not against some city by-law?

Hopefully no young offenders were in the back seat!

No just a city bylaw...Provincial Act....every vehicle owned by a company is designated a "workplace" and is to be smoke free. Plus must display a no smoking sign.