Driver distraction law passes.

[C_Dave45]

Okay..so the new bill passed. http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loc...ub=CalgaryHome

The province spends all this time and money on a new bill to crack down on distracted drivers. The politicians pat themselves on the back and calls it the "toughest laws in Canada". Says the no-demerit-$172-fine will deter drivers to drive distracted.

Uhh...if the already-in-place "driving without due care and attention" (HTA: 123(a)...a $402 fine and 6 demerits ) didn't deter drivers from driving distracted, how will a watered down version of the same law, with lesser penalties, make it any more a deterrent?

Maybe if they would just enforce the old law, we wouldn't need to spend all this money on a new law.



DayGlow....care to shed any light on this?

[Modelexis]

Drinking your coffee with a hand on the wheel likely won't get you a ticket

I don't like those odds, especially given the history of police and their trigger fingers for handing out fines.

Worrying about a thousand rules and regulations and possible violations is a distraction while driving.

[Jetta-2.0]

wow so im drinking my tea or coffee and when i drink the cup or mug covers my eyes so thats safer then holding a cell in 1 hand and the other hand on the wheel lol, this law was put together in a hurry and its added to that big fat cash cow that we all hate but cant help but feed

[dandia89]

Originally posted by Jetta-2.0
wow so im drinking my tea or coffee and when i drink the cup or mug covers my eyes so thats safer then holding a cell in 1 hand and the other hand on the wheel lol, this law was put together in a hurry and its added to that big fat cash cow that we all hate but cant help but feed

I just hear a fob speaking really fast when I read your posts.

[RY213]

While im all for cracking down on people texting while driving, I think this law is retarded. It puts way too much power in the hands of the police. The thought of potentially getting a ticket while drinking a coffee or taking a swig out of my water bottle is straight up bullshit. Sure the article says you wont get ticketed for that, but if some cop needs to fill his quota and is being an asshole that day hes going to say you were distracted and give you a ticket. Are people so stupid nowadays that we need to legislate every small thing that should be common sense?

[Jetta-2.0]

Originally posted by dandia89

I just hear a fob speaking really fast when I read your posts.

yes i am a fob was born in canada but raised in lebanon

[1barA4]

Originally posted by RY213
Are people so stupid nowadays that we need to legislate every small thing that should be common sense?

The problem is the legislators are even dumber than the people they are trying to "protect"...

[Jetta-2.0]

Originally posted by 1barA4


The problem is the legislators are even dumber than the people they are trying to "protect"...

careful, they will make a law about calling them dumb and ticket u

[Awd-Tsi]

This is gay... Time to start using the voice to text apps on the iphone

[HyperZell]

Originally posted by Awd-Tsi
This is gay... Time to start using the voice to text apps on the iphone

What, so you were texting while driving before? This law is made for idiots like you.

[Jetta-2.0]

Originally posted by HyperZell


What, so you were texting while driving before? This law is made for idiots like you.

so u have never txt and drove? do u even have a car or a phone? in the story they say albertains are the most distracted drivers in canada, or ur not from alberta all together

[NuclearPizzaMan]

Originally posted by HyperZell


What, so you were texting while driving before? This law is made for idiots like you.

How else do you find yourself going the wrong way on a one way?


If the police catch you texting while driving, they should drag you out of your car, beat you until you can't walk, and light your car on fire as a reminder to others.

My fender and I approve of this law

[HyperZell]

Originally posted by Jetta-2.0

so u have never txt and drove? do u even have a car or a phone? in the story they say albertains are the most distracted drivers in canada, or ur not from alberta all together

So Albertans are the most distracted drivers in Canada = all Albertans text and drive. Yeah...no.

Do yourself a favor - don't hit that reply button.

[frizzlefry]

So how are they going to catch people? Happen to drive by them as they text? Or are we going to have "Distracted driving" traps? Cops sitting on the side of the road with binoculars waving over people they see without two hands on the wheel? Something tells me thats how its going to be enforced....

[85regal]

many other places already have this as law..it makes sense..people cant use common sense, so laws like this are needed..it is enforced well in bc. other drivers will actually yell at you if they see you on the phone. if you want to text, play with your ipod, take the bus and dont put other drivers at risk.. for finally passing this..

[Jetta-2.0]

Originally posted by HyperZell


So Albertans are the most distracted drivers in Canada = all Albertans text and drive. Yeah...no.

Do yourself a favor - don't hit that reply button.

nah its sad that ur such an angel

[HyperZell]

Originally posted by Jetta-2.0


nah its sad that ur such an angel

Not really, no.

[C_Dave45]

Wow...where's that gif of Samuel Jackson about reading before posting?
Everyone has totally missed the whole point of my OP.
We ALREADY have a law that covers any activity where a driver is not focused on the task at hand, It's called "driving without due care and attention". It's hardly ever enforced. How is this new law any different?
We're all quite aware of WHY we need laws such as these. The point of this thread is why bring in another identical law with lower penalties???

[Modelexis]

Technically, 90% of accidents on the road should result in a "driving without due care and attention" ticket.

[phil98z24]

Originally posted by C_Dave45
Wow...where's that gif of Samuel Jackson about reading before posting?
Everyone has totally missed the whole point of my OP.
We ALREADY have a law that covers any activity where a driver is not focused on the task at hand, It's called "driving without due care and attention". It's hardly ever enforced. How is this new law any different?
We're all quite aware of WHY we need laws such as these. The point of this thread is why bring in another identical law with lower penalties???

Because the existing careless driving charge under the TSA (we don't have the HTA anymore, FYI) is a much broader charge and there has to be a fairly consistent and drawn out pattern of careless driving to lay it - hence the hefty fine.

AFAIK, this new legislation makes careless driving directly related to someone doing something other than driving; for example, I see someone heads down texting and they swerve into the next lane, I can reasonably infer that the swerving is likely related to that and lay a charge much more easily under the new legislation. Again, the significantly lower fine reflects this.

This isn't meant to be a catch all for handing out tickets for people talking on cell phones and changing radio stations; there has to be some driving hazard related to it. The province will not allow it to be any other way, and certainly no police service will allow any of their officers carte blanche power to hand out tickets based on the letter of the law. This piece of legislation is going to be enforced on a "spirit of the law" basis as opposed to a "letter of the law" basis.