The Ontario Provincial Police's collision data reveals that distracted driving was a major factor in 12 of 51 fatal collisions this year. For the last 7 years, it has killed more people than impaired driving. File photo.
By: Darren MacDonald
It wasn't that long ago that drinking and driving was a tolerated activity, with penalties that amounted to a slap on the wrist.
Same with not wearing seatbelts, which at one time was largely the exception, not the rule. But today, attitudes and penalties have changed to the point that both have become socially unacceptable.
Amy Orfanakos, media and public relations specialist with the North and East Ontario branches of the Canadian Automobile Association, says it's time the public began seeing distracted driving in the same light.
"Distracted driving is on pace to cause more accidents and deaths than alcohol," Orfanakos said. "It is a huge issue."
Like drunk drivers who believe they're OK to get behind the wheel, she said distracted drivers think their cellphone habits in the car won't get them into trouble.
"There's always that kind of idea that, 'oh, it's not going to be me' -- I think a lot of people think that they can do it," Orfanakos said. "Some people just don't get how dangerous and how distracting it is."
Similar to the higher fines and stricter penalties now associated with impaired driving, she said tougher sanctions will make a difference on the road.
In Ontario, for example, the province has introduced legislation that would increase fines from $250 to $1,000, as well as three demerit points. And the Ontario Provincial Police say for the seventh year running, accidents caused by distracted driving is behind more deaths than drunk driving.
“Both of these fatality categories are dangerous, preventable driving behaviours that result in the senseless loss of life on Ontario roads every year,” a news release said.
“OPP collision data reveals that driver inattention was a causal factor in 12 of this year's 51 fatal collisions ... In five of the fatal incidents, it was the driver who was found to be driving inattentively who died.”
Two innocent drivers were victims of distracted drivers, while pedestrians were the victims in three of the incidents.
To get the message out, the OPP launched its annual enforcement blitz this month, cracking down on motorists who talk or text while the drive.
"Distracted driving is a danger to all road users,” Chief Supt. Chuck Cox, commander of the OPP's Highway Safety Division, said in the release. “We want to see everyone develop and maintain a complete intolerance for distracted driving and make it the socially unacceptable driving behaviour that it should be."
With hands-free technology available for any car, Orfanakos said there is no reason for anyone to use hand-held devices while driving.
“And that message needs to be pushed,” she said. “If you need to be on a call or to answer your cellphone, then make sure your car is wired with a Bluetooth.
"I think a lot of it has to do with education. The younger generation, especially, aren't being told -- or aren't being pushed -- either by their parents or their own driving instructors how dangerous and how lethal it can be."
To get people to break the habit, the CAA has teamed with police in Ottawa to launch a website – leavethephonealone.ca – that challenges people to pledge not to touch their phone while driving for 28 days.
“It's centred on the idea that it takes 28 days to break a habit. So after those 28 days, you're not going to be touching your phone when you're driving."
The goal is to change the way the public sees distracted driving. Rather than being a bad habit, it's a dangerous practice that endangers the lives of drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike.
Making it socially unacceptable could have the same impact as past seatbelt and impaired driving campaigns, Orfanakos said. Whereas it's not hard to find a driver staring at their phones, most people are buckled up.
"So now, not wearing your seatbelt is very rare," she said. "Even with drinking and driving, it's so frowned upon now, and that comes through education, and tougher enforcement."
Distracted facts:
-The only time you can use your phone while driving is to call 911, although it's best to pull over first if possible.
-You can use your cellphone if you have an earpiece, headset or Bluetooth device using voice-activated dialling.
-Keep your phone out of reach while driving to avoid the temptation to look to see if you have received any calls or messages.
-Research shows that drivers who use cellphones are four times more likely to be in a collision than drivers who focus on the road. And when drivers take their eyes off the road for more than two seconds, their crash risk doubles.
