Strathcona County took aim at bad driving behaviour this week when council banned the use of cellphones while driving on municipal roads. The decision, a first among Alberta municipalities, is one other governments, including the province, should follow.
Under the Strathcona ban, drivers risk a $100 fine on first offence for talking and driving while using a handheld cellphone. The rules do not apply to provincial highways where the municipality has no authority, nor do they affect emergency service providers and other important civic functions. The ban does not apply to hands-free phones.
Though no other Alberta jurisdiction has implemented such a ban, four provinces have — Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. Numerous businesses, including Hole’s Greenhouses and Gardens, have implemented similar rules in work vehicles. The St. Albert RCMP detachment has already come out in support of bans that would target driver distraction. Like all emergency responders, police know all too well that inattentiveness due to devices like handheld cellphones can lead to tragic results. Studies have found distracted drivers are four times more likely to be involved in a crash than a driver whose attention is focused on the road ahead. Hands-free phones have been found to be no better.
Rather than a mere cellphone ban, Premier Ed Stelmach has indicated the provincial government plans to target a broader range of driver distractions, be it eating in the car, unruly pets or touching up one’s makeup. The broader ban follows the recommendations last year from an MLA committee then chaired by St. Albert’s Ken Allred.
While some would question the enforceability of an outright ban or argue it’s another example of government social engineering, Strathcona County council rightly put driver safety in the front seat. No bylaw is 100 per cent enforceable, but handing out tickets isn’t the point. Bylaws, backed with pubic education, can lead to change. In the few days since Strathcona approved its ban, public discussion has already started.
That dialogue is invaluable because many of us fail to recognize the dangers of bad habits behind the wheel. It’s a lecture drilled into every student driver yet one we routinely ignore to take that phone call, eat on the run or crank up the tunes. A 2007 survey commissioned by Alberta-based Coalition for Cellphone-Free Driving found most Albertans recognize their poor habits. Some 73 per cent of those polled felt talking and driving is either very or somewhat dangerous, yet 50 per cent said they still use cellphones behind the wheel.
Such findings shouldn’t surprise anyone — some only need to look in the mirror. Too many of us have lost sight of the fact that operating a heavy machine like an automobile is a privilege not to be taken lightly. Much like seatbelt laws 20 years ago, drivers need a push in the right direction to make our roads safer. It’s incumbent on the provincial government to get with the times and look out for the best interests of citizens. Until then, turn the phone off, put the lipstick away and keep your eyes on the road.
