The alarming numbers associated with distracted driving and texting while driving released last week prompted one broker to wonder if the problem couldn’t be solved at the source – the cell phone providers.
“I have just read some of the info regarding penalties for anyone caught using a cell phone for talking or texting,” says Larry Donivan, a commercial broker in Chapleau, Ont. “Would it not be more feasible to have all the cell phone providers block all calls made from automobiles?”
The numbers come from a recent survey conducted for the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health found that more than one-third of licensed Ontario students in Grades 10 to 12 — some 108,000 teenagers — reported having texted while behind the wheel at least once in the past year.
The necessity of using a phone while in the car is almost ubiquitous among teenage drivers and those in their early 20s. However, Donivan feels that anyone who truly needs to talk or text should be nowhere near a vehicle.
“If it is necessary to use cell or text that the user pull over and exit automobile to make their calls,” he told Insurance Business. “We all know that no matter what the violation is, this dangerous use of handheld cell phones will only continue.”
The dangers of distracted driving are serious and need to be addressed, says Ralph Palumbo, Ontario’s Vice-President,
Insurance Bureau of Canada.
“Distractions are a factor in many collisions,” he says, “and we need to convince people that the practice of texting or using the phone while driving is socially unacceptable and inherently dangerous.”
The ruling Ontario Liberals have vowed to reintroduce legislation that would raise the penalties on distracted driving – a maximum fine of $1,000 and three demerit points.
That bill died in the legislature when the June 12 election was called.
