Debate on banning cell phones while driving heats up again after inquest

The battle to ban the use of cell phones while driving could heat up in Ontario again following a Whitby ON coroner’s jury recommendation that the government consider proposed legislation calling for a ban. Canada’s wireless lobby, however, says it’s not worried. Despite the potential for a knee-jerk reaction by the public, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association says it won’t change its position on the use of cell phones while driving. The inquest investigated the death of a father and daughter at a railway crossing. The father was talking on his cell phone when his vehicle was hit by a passing train. Besides suggesting a legislative solution, the coroner’s jury recommended that a task force be created to study the risks associated with driving distractions. It also called for an immediate ban on cell phone use by new drivers and that automobile insurance companies adjust their rates to take into account that cell phone users have a greater chance of getting into an accident. "In a nutshell, it doesn’t really change our position," CWTA president and CEO Peter Barnes tells Report on Wireless. "If you go on to read the balance of the decision, they talk about education and research, which has always been something that we’ve been quite active in and cooperative with both research agencies and governments." Research supports CWTA position on distraction Barnes maintains that the issue is still one of driver distraction and that it’s unfair to target cell phones when there are already laws on the books against careless driving. The body of research also tends to support this position, he adds, pointing to research conducted by the University of North Carolina and the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency. "Effectively, one of our recommendations to the jury was that the existing laws be applied in a more active way because they are laws on the books and they cover what we call the multitude of sins, as opposed to potential laws that cover only one behaviour," he says. For the last several years, the CWTA has been advocating safe cell phone usage while in the driver’s seat. It advocates the use of hands-free devices and encourages drivers to pull over if using a cell phone is required. Earlier this year, it appeared as though the CWTA’s message of prudence was getting through as two provincial governments moved to not legislate in this contentious area (RoW, June 11/02). The association is also proactive in getting its message out to drivers by working with the Canada Safety Council. It has shipped approximately 15,000 copies of its Driven to Distraction video to driving schools, fleet operators and DaimlerChrysler service centres. However, the jury’s recommendations may have added fuel to Ontario MPP John O’Toole’s private members bill calling for such a ban, which had previously been pulled off the order table. The bill seems to be back on the legislative agenda, however, as it is scheduled for second reading on October 17. The inquest’s recommendations may also provide the Newfoundland government with the incentive to move forward with its own legislation that was tabled before the summer break. At this point, it is unclear what process will surround the bill’s second reading. Barnes says that if there are committee meetings and hearings, which is normally the case, the CWTA will be front and centre. "Once the process is there, certainly we would be engaged to make sure the committee and eventually the full legislature would be aware of the facts and of the research," he states. "However clearly tragic the events were," Barnes says, "what the inquest recommendations do, however, is they bring the issue to the forefront and give us another opportunity to (deal) with the whole distraction issue."

Debate on banning cell phones while driving heats up again after inquest

News | 09/30/2002 4:00 am EDT

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