Police Cracking Down On Distracted Drivers
Posted February 1, 2010 6:31 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The grace period is over for drivers who use hand-held devices behind the wheel.
Bill 118, the province’s attempt to stop motorists from using hand-held communication and entertainment devices, officially took effect Oct. 26, but the legislation included a three-month “education period” that ended Monday.
Drivers caught tapping the keys of a gadget or holding a device up to their ear can now face a $155 fine. If the motorist decides to fight the ticket, a judge has the discretion to reduce it down to as low as $60 or jack the fine up to $500. An officer can also hand out three demerit points, if they think it’s warranted.
911 calls are an exception.
It’s also illegal for drivers to look at display screens, such as laptops, MP3 players, or DVD players, that are unrelated to driving.
Motorists charged with the additional offence of distracted driving could be handed six demerit points.
According to the Ontario transportation ministry, driving while using either a hand-held or hands-free device increases your chances of being involved in a collision by four times. If possible, officials urge motorists to turn off their cellphones while driving.
Here’s a look at the hands-free devices that are permitted under Bill 118:
- cellphone with an earpiece or headset using voice dialing, or plugged into the vehicle’s sound system
- a global positioning system (GPS) device that is properly secured to the dashboard or another accessible place in the vehicle
- a portable audio player that has been plugged into the vehicle’s sound system
Police will be out in force this week, cracking down on drivers caught breaking the new law. Authorities say drivers should remember the one-button rule-of-thumb: you’re allowed to send or receive a call to your headset with the push of one button – that doesn’t include scrolling through your library of music on your MP3 player.
A similar law went into effect in B.C. this month.
