<< OMA's road safety prescription heeded in bill to ban use of hand held devices for drivers >>

TORONTO, Oct. 28 /CNW/ - Ontario's doctors are encouraged by the Ministry of Transportation's introduction today of a bill to ban the use of hand-held devices while driving. The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) has been instrumental in calling for government action on the use of cellphones by drivers.

"We know that driving while distracted is a recipe for disaster," said Dr. Ken Arnold, President of the OMA. "Unfortunately, doctors continue to see injuries, and even deaths, caused by cellphone use while driving and that's why this bill is an important one."

An OMA report, Cellular Phone Use and Driving: A Dangerous Combination, was released this September and shows that a crash is four times as likely if a cell phone has been used up to 10 minutes prior to the collision.

The OMA report also found that the use of a cellphone while driving leads to dangerous changes in drivers' behaviour. Among these changes are:

- Change in average driving speed
- Slower brake reaction time
- Slower response times to traffic light changes
- Reduced visual monitoring of mirrors and instruments, with some drivers abandoning them entirely

According to the Ontario Road Safety Annual Report, there were 766 fatalities due to motor vehicle collisions in Ontario in 2005. It also shows that there were 71,850 injuries due to collisions, resulting in close to 50,000 hospital days.

"Injuries in collisions caused by the use of a hand-held device could be easily preventable," said Dr. Arnold. "We're hopeful that this bill will provide drivers with the education and motivation they need to put down the distractions while driving."

<< The OMA report is posted at www.oma.org/Health/Reports/CellphonesDrivingSafetySept08.pdf >>

Windsor motorists appear to fit the national profile when it comes to cellphone use in vehicles -- a clear majority of Canadians believe they're a distraction and shouldn't be part of the driving experience, but a good portion of them use the devices anyway.

"I swear to God, I didn't pick it up until I left the road," Dan Demers-Lajoie said after bringing his Jeep TJ to a stop Tuesday in a Dougall Square parking spot while maintaining his cellphone conversation.

Informed of Ontario's proposed new ban on the use of hand-held electronic devices while driving, Demers-Lajoie, like a number of Windsor motorists interviewed by The Star, enthusiastically expressed support for the restriction. Demers-Lajoie said he answers calls while driving -- this one was from his girlfriend -- but he insists he draws the line at texting: "I tried it, yeah, but it was horrible."

Web Staff, cp24.com

Reports indicate the province may table the cell phone ban legislation next week.

The province is expected to table on Tuesday the long-awaited legislation that would ban hand-held cell phones while driving in Ontario.

This move would follow a precedent set in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Quebec, but reports say the Ontario bill takes it a step further.

In May, Premier Dalton McGuinty asked Transportation Minister Jim Bradley to start looking into a ban on all handheld devices like Blackberries, and MP3 players.

Hands-free units would be allowed.

CP24's traffic and safety specialist Cam Woolley says the devices all have one thing in common, which is taking the attention away from the real focus -- the road.

The Ontario Safety League has been pushing for this kind of legislation for a while now. But group president Brian Patterson says he isn't sure the ban would be enforced immediately after it's passed.

Patterson says he wants to make sure there is some leeway if you're calling in a suspected drunk driver. A third of impaired driving cases are reported through cell phones. 

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