Cellphone junkies in British Columbia and Saskatchewan will now have to think twice before picking up the phone while at the wheel of a vehicle. Both Canadians provinces have approved laws that ban the use of cellphones while driving, effective today.
The goal of both laws is to hopefully reduce driver distraction and thereby reduce accidents. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), people who talk on cellphones and drive are six times more likely to be involved in an accident than the average driver. That rate goes up to 23 times for those who text and drive.
"There is no question that this legislation will make our province's roads safer," said Lindsay Olson, the IBC Vice-President for BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, in a press release.
According to the Globe and Mail, drivers in B.C. face a $167 fine if police catch them talking on the phone while driving. The fine in Saskatchewan is higher, at $280. However, the B.C. government is giving drivers a grace period until February 1st, when the fines will come into effect. Hands-free devices will still be permitted in both provinces, but new drivers will be banned from using such technology.
The two provinces join a lengthening list of Canadian provinces that have enacted similar bans, and the trend appears to be growing globally. Alberta and New Brunswick lack any related legislation, but Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island all have similar rules, and Manitoba is planning to pass a law later this year.