More details on “hands-free” law
It's official — drivers have to stop tapping on that cell phone while driving. It's time to venture into a Bluetooth nation and get some docks for those gadgets.
Your phone can't just be sitting in your lap or on the passenger seat either — it's now the driver's responsibility to ensure their electronics are as hands-free as possible.
This also means limited button activation, said Sgt. Tom O'Brien of London Police Services. Even if a driver has mounted their mp3 player, the police don't want them scrolling through all their music or pressing buttons to change their route on their GPS.
If going hands-free isn't for you, you're required to pull into a parking lot or out of the way of traffic in order to use your phone, added O'Brien.
Cell phones used for commercial reasons, such as by truck drivers, are exempted from the law for three years so companies are able to secure the appropriate technologies for their drivers.
The London Police Service has already stopped a couple of drivers since the law was implemented on October 26, but will not be formally charging anyone with cell phone use until February 1, 2010. However, if the cell phone use is causing reckless driving then it's likely the driver will be charged.
Some groups argue the hands-free law is not enough to eradicate the problem of electronics use while driving, but the government felt just eliminating hand-held devices was “a good first step,” said O'Brien. Most Canadians will admit that it's not good to be on the phone while driving, but the vast majority would rather have hands-free devices than nothing at all, he said.
Despite already stopping some drivers, O'Brien thinks people are very much aware of the law.
“We're getting a sense that while it's really fresh…they'll make an attempt to fix it,” he said. “But habits are hard to break and we hope they'll do the right thing.”
Your phone can't just be sitting in your lap or on the passenger seat either — it's now the driver's responsibility to ensure their electronics are as hands-free as possible.
This also means limited button activation, said Sgt. Tom O'Brien of London Police Services. Even if a driver has mounted their mp3 player, the police don't want them scrolling through all their music or pressing buttons to change their route on their GPS.
If going hands-free isn't for you, you're required to pull into a parking lot or out of the way of traffic in order to use your phone, added O'Brien.
Cell phones used for commercial reasons, such as by truck drivers, are exempted from the law for three years so companies are able to secure the appropriate technologies for their drivers.
The London Police Service has already stopped a couple of drivers since the law was implemented on October 26, but will not be formally charging anyone with cell phone use until February 1, 2010. However, if the cell phone use is causing reckless driving then it's likely the driver will be charged.
Some groups argue the hands-free law is not enough to eradicate the problem of electronics use while driving, but the government felt just eliminating hand-held devices was “a good first step,” said O'Brien. Most Canadians will admit that it's not good to be on the phone while driving, but the vast majority would rather have hands-free devices than nothing at all, he said.
Despite already stopping some drivers, O'Brien thinks people are very much aware of the law.
“We're getting a sense that while it's really fresh…they'll make an attempt to fix it,” he said. “But habits are hard to break and we hope they'll do the right thing.”
