Only four days into the province-wide ban of handheld devices while operating a motor vehicle, two Cornwall drivers received an expensive wakeup call. The Cornwall Community Police Service (CCPS) ticketed two city residents $155 under Ontario’s Bill 118, otherwise known as the new Distracted Driving Law.
"Drivers who continue to drive while operating a handheld device do so at their own peril," said CCPS Chief Dan Parkinson. "A $155 fine is a significant financial penalty."
The law went into effect on Oct. 26 of 2009 throughout Ontario, but a grace period until Feb. 1 of 2010 allowed drivers to get away with a warning.
The only exception to the ban is a 911 call.
Drivers caught disobeying the new rule are given a fine of $125 including a victim surcharge and court fees that drive the ticket up to $155.
In an Ontario court of law a judge can also bring a ticket as low as $60 or as high as $500.
"The charges over the last four days do not reflect the number of times drivers are continuing to use handheld devices while driving," said Parkinson. "I firmly believe there are far more than that driving while using their cell phones."
Parkinson compared the Distracted Driving Law to seat belt laws instituted decades ago.
The police chief said that similar to the high degree of compliance shown towards proper seat belt use, drivers will ultimately comply with the new law over time.
Darrell Blakely, CCPS? Traffic Specialist Cst., said he is pleased with the voluntary compliance of the majority of motorists.
If drivers are involved in an accident without undue care and they were texting or on the phone while driving they can be charged with careless driving.
The penalty is a fine of $200 to $1,000, and a jail term for a maximum of six months. As well, the driver’s licence may be taken away for up to two years.
The Ministry of Transportation (MOT) stipulates that the new law applies only to hand-held wireless communications and hand-held electronic entertainment devices.
The new law prohibits drivers to talk, text, type, dial or email using hand-held cell phones and other handheld communications and entertainment devices.
"This is not something we’ve done arbitrarily," said Parkinson. "The MOT and other organizations have studied the impact and sometimes they have to regulate things out of existence."
Now Ontario drivers can only use wireless devices that can be used in a "hands-free" manner.
The handheld devices include:
A cell phone 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.
Also, a portable audio player that has been plugged into the vehicle’s sound system.
Exempt from the new laws are police, fire and ambulance workers while in the execution of their duties.
"I don’t see it as a double standard. We’re not getting away with anything and it is equally risky for us to use a hands-free device and look at a computer screen in our vehicle,?" said Parkinson. "There is a reason why we have exemption and that is because of the nature of the communication that we have to have in order to do our jobs effectively."
The police are reminding motorists to pull over, off the roadway, to use any entertainment devices, take any cell phone calls or text messages.
For further information contact the Cornwall Community Police at (613) 933-5000.
