Only hands-free and one-touch devices will be permitted
British Columbia has proposed changes to the provincial motor vehicle act that would ban cellphone use while driving.
Under the proposed bill, introduced by B.C. Solicitor General Kash Heed, drivers would be able to use cellphones connected to hands-free devices and devices that require one touch to activate.
However, drivers who are in the "learner" or "novice" stage of the province's Graduated Licensing Program would not be able to use any cellphones, regardless of whether or not they are hands-free.
The use of other portable electronic devices and text messaging would be banned for all drivers under the bill.
“Simply put, you cannot talk, type or dial on any hand-held device while driving,” said Heed. The changes will take effect Jan. 1, 2010, if the bill passes through the provincial legislature, and fines of $167 will be levied as of Feb. 1.
Drivers caught texting or emailing will also receive three penalty points on their drivers' licences.
According to independent research and studies, cellphone use while driving is the number-one cause of distracted driving, stated the government release announcing the bill. On average, about 117 people die each year in B.C. and 1,400 are sent to hospital because someone was not paying attention behind the wheel.
These changes bring British Columbia in line with Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Alberta recently announced that it intends to introduce similar distracted driving legislation this fall.
Prohibited actions and devices while driving:
• No operating or holding hand-held cellphones or other electronic devices.
• No sending or reading emails and/or texting (e.g., BlackBerry, PDA, cellphone).
• No operating or holding hand-held music or portable gaming devices (e.g., MP3 players, iPods).
• No manual programming or adjusting GPS systems, whether built in to the vehicle or not, while driving. Settings must be programmed before driving.
Permitted actions and devices:
• Hands-free cellphones that are built in or securely fixed to the vehicle, and used by pressing a single button — once only — in order to activate a hands-free device for incoming or outgoing calls.
• Pre-programmed and voice-activated GPS devices.
• Two-way radios for industry (e.g., trucking, logging, oil and gas).
• Any of the above devices can be used if the vehicle is legally parked and not impeding traffic.
• 911 calls to report an emergency.
Graduated licence drivers:
• In addition to the above restrictions and permitted actions, new drivers are prohibited from using hands-free communications devices (e.g. cellphones on speaker mode) while driving.
Exemptions to the legislation include police, fire and ambulance personnel who may need to make calls in the performance of their duties.
Source: B.C. Ministry of the Solicitor General
