Provincial ban on hand-held cellphones, texting while driving
Employers with workers on the road in Manitoba need to circle July 15 on their calendars. That’s the date the province’s new law banning texting and hand-held cellphones while driving comes into force.
Drivers who ignore the law could face a fine of almost $200, said Steve Ashton, the province’s infrastructure and transportation minister.
“We know the hazards that distracted drivers create on our roads. Talking on a hand-held cellphone and texting are major distractions while driving,” said Ashton.
Under the amendments, motorists may also face a fine of almost $200 for smoking in vehicles when children under the age of 16 are present.
“Driving a motor vehicle requires the total concentration of a driver, as life-saving decisions are often made in an instant,” said Manitoba Public Insurance CEO and president Marilyn McLaren. “Text messaging or using a hand-held cellphone while driving are both identified forms of driver distraction that can lead to a crash.”
British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island have comparable laws and Alberta recently introduced legislation banning the use of hand-held cellphones while driving. Several jurisdictions also have laws prohibiting smoking in vehicles with children present including British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.
Manitoba’s legislation allows the use of cellphones while driving to make telephone calls, provided they are equipped as hands-free devices and used in a hands-free manner. The law also allows use of a hand-held cellphone to call the police, fire or ambulance service in an emergency.
Facts on cellphones and driving
•The number one source of driver inattention is cellphones.
•Drivers talking on cellphones are nearly twice as likely as other drivers involved in crashes to have rear-end collisions.
•Drivers who use cellphones are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.
•Drivers who text are 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision.
•Driving while using a cellphone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 per cent.
Source: Manitoba government
