Almost a year after the ban on cell phones while driving went into effect in Ontario, police are still handing out tickets on a regular basis.
The Countering Distracted Driving and Promoting Green Transportation Act put into effect in October last year made it illegal to use any hand-held electronic device while driving. However, as Perth County OPP Inspector Steve Porter said, it hasn’t stopped drivers from getting the message.
“The officers are out and giving tickets, but people just don’t seem to get it,” he said.
Porter said it’s not just a problem limited to Perth County, and that drivers across the province are still texting or calling while driving. In one case, Porter said there was a Perth County driver who had his laptop computer in front of him. The act allows for the use of headsets for phones, but Porter said drivers aren’t taking advantage of them.
“They drive with the phone in their ear despite the fact there are a lot of different technologies that allow you to be hands free,” Porter said. “There’s really no excuse for using a hand-held device while driving.”
Perth County community services and media relations officer Kees Wijnands said there are tickets issued for cell phone use while driving almost on a daily basis. Wijnands compares it to when the seatbelt law was changed nearly 30 years ago, and the situation has gradually improved.
“Now seatbelt compliance is pretty good,” he said. “It’s the same with cell phone use.”
As with the recent rash of thefts from unlocked vehicles in Listowel, Wijnands said it might take people to become a victim before they understand the importance of the cell phone law.
“The whole mindset has to change, and for some people that means they have to get a ticket,” he said. “If the officer is writing a ticket, we just want it to be safer for everyone else.”