Airdrie residents now have to put their cell phones down, stop fiddling with GPS devices and discontinue grooming when driving thanks to new Provincial legislation. If they choose not to comply, they will be fined $172 under the Traffic Safety Act.
The law was introduced by Calgary-Hays MLA and former police sergeant Art Johnston in 2008. He said some will embrace the law and some won’t, but the impact will be noticeable.
“Highways are going to be safer,” said Johnston.
Other restrictions include texting, touching an mp3 player, reading, writing, drawing, eating a meal, using laptops and playing hand-held video games. However, hands-free cell phones are legal, as is smoking, drinking coffee, talking with passengers, eating snacks and having pets in the car.
Mayor Peter Brown believes the new law will be beneficial and remove risky behaviour from the streets.
“I think it’s certainly reasonable,” said Brown. “If you get caught once and have to pay $172, you’re probably going to think twice about doing it.
“I know I’ve seen a lot of near accidents when people are on the phone or texting and not paying attention.”
Johnston said the infractions aren’t simply a cash grab and decried such accusations as “ridiculous.”
“As long as you’re not doing anything wrong, there’s nothing to worry about,” he said.
With 23 years in the Calgary Police Service, Johnston said he had to make multiple trips to a family’s home, letting them know a loved one died because of others’ careless actions.
“I’ve seen a lot of driving and inappropriate behaviour and saw lots that needed to be changed,” he said.
Today’s biggest distraction is texting and talking on cell phones, according to Johnston, who uses a Bluetooth device when he drives.
He said the all-out ban on communications fell through during negotiations of the legislation being drafted.
“It took me three years to get my colleagues on board with this,” he said. “It’s like anything else, sometimes you can give a bit and get a little.”
Many critics of the new law said the Province had a chance to make roads safe and failed to capitalize.
“Science tells us that there’s absolutely no difference with the danger of hand cells and hands-free,” said Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti, injury researcher and emergency physician at the University of Alberta. “It’s the conversation that’s the distraction.”
Francescutti said more than 50 per cent of the brain is activated when it’s listening and people are not focusing on the road ahead of them.
“You will focus on that and you won’t see the child come out or the light turn red,” said Francescutti.
Conversation between two people in a car is much different since the passenger can change their cadence, pitch and tone depending on what is happening on the road, added Francescutti.
The Province had an opportunity to become a leader in traffic safety, yet fell short by not including hands-free devices in the law, he said.
Drivers at 7-11 in Airdrie had mixed reactions to the new law.
“Probably the first year it will be a little tougher,” said Braden Jepson. “I only talk on the phone when I need directions.”
He said the fine is reasonable and encouraged drivers to focus on the road if they can’t afford the fine.
Shaun Harrison said paying $172 is suitable, but isn’t sure how cops will catch people.
“I think mostly it’s texting that causes accidents,” he said. “It would be hard to enforce.”
Those operating police cars, ambulances, fire trucks and gas disconnection units are exempt from the new law.
The law extends to people riding bicycles, motorcycles, motor homes, truck tractors and farm vehicles.
For full details of the law, visit www.transportation.alberta.ca
