The World is a Stage
Article content
How obtuse are people out there? Oh, let’s make it clearer! How stupid are people today?
Well, is there a day that goes by that you don’t see someone on their cell phone while driving? I doubt it. Therefore, even right here in lovely Tillsonburg, we have people risking your life and mine because they are addicted to their phones. They don’t pull over and park to text or talk, they don’t even use a hand free devise. What does this say? “The conversation I am having on my cell phone is more important to me than my life, my passengers’ lives, and yours.”
These same people would probably never drink and drive, yet it turns out if you talk on a cellphone while driving, you are just as impaired as someone with a blood alcohol content of .08! That is drunk. Think about it people, you are as dangerous as a drunk driver! But it is worse. Canada is pretty bad not getting the message about the dangers of drinking and driving as well. The US Centers for Disease Control in July 2016 noted that ‘Canada ranks No. 1 among 19 wealthy countries for percentage of roadway deaths linked to alcohol impairment.’
Last August, the OPP noted that “for the first time since Ontario distracted driving laws were introduced in 2009, the OPP is reporting that driver inattention-related road deaths are poised to double the number of impaired-related deaths this year.”
The Insurance Bureau of Canada noted: a study found that in 80% of collisions and 65% of near-collisions the driver had looked away from the road three seconds prior to the crash. Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to cause injury.
Did you know that it is just as illegal to read your cell phone when you are stopped at a red light than it is when you are driving? When sitting behind the wheel of the car, you are supposed to be aware of everything that goes on around you at all times, even when stopped. No ifs, ands or buts!
Even when drivers use a hands-free phone, they are less aware of the traffic around them. A distracted driver may fail to see up to 50% of the available information in the driving environment. You may look but not actually “see” what is happening, which of course means you tend to react more slowly to a critical event, or may not detect any danger at all.
Nearly three out of four Canadian drivers admit to driving distracted. That includes: eating, drinking, adjusting radio/iPod/climate controls, programing the GPS, smoking, reading maps and newspapers, grooming, passenger distractions and, of course, cell phones. However, you are 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision if you text while driving. That was 23 times!
So what it comes down to is not using a phone at all while driving.
If you want to provide a safe environment while you drive, tell people you will not answer while driving and put on an auto reply for phone or text calls that you are probably driving and will get back to them. If you can’t handle the ringing you might just want to turn the phone off and put it where you can’t reach it. It may surprise you to know that people will call back and that you are allowed to actually have quiet time all to your self!
Getting caught in Ontario is not cheap. Fines range from $490 to $1,000 and three demerit points. Don’t let causing an accident, which could permanently maim or kill your child or loved one, neighbor or stranger be your wake up call to stop driving distracted.
The problem with reporting people who are using their phones is that you will be distracted doing so. Wait until you can safely stop. If they are not displaying dangerous driving call the OPP’s non-emergency line to report it. Getting the make and model of the vehicle, street they were on and hopefully the license plate number.
If you see a hazardous driver swerving or driving erratically, safely pull over with your hazard lights on and call 9-1-1. Gather as many details as you can, including the direction in which the car was going, the street it was on, and the make and model of the vehicle. Knowing the license plate number can help too.
Let’s start calling in these bad drivers and make our roads safer.