聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥淒istracted driving now overtakes impaired driving as the number-one contributor to motor-vehicle collisions in Saskatchewan,鈥� says Carlyle RCMP Staff Sgt. Darren Simons. 鈥淩ight now in Saskatchewan, distracted driving causes more fatalities than impaired driving-and it's getting worse.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hese types of accidents are preventable and avoidable,鈥� he adds. 鈥淎nd a big part of prevention is addressing cellphone use.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Simons says cellphone use while driving can cause a crash in mere seconds and says that whether you're close to home or far away, the potential for a traffic-related tragedy is always there.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐ellphones are a big one because it only takes a couple of seconds to have a collision,鈥� says Simons. 鈥淚f you're driving at 50 km per hour, you're covering about 50 feet in a second. If you look at a cellphone while you're driving for even two seconds, you're travelling 100 feet and a lot can happen within that short period of time and that distance.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淢ost accidents happen close to where you live- within 30 kilometres,鈥� he adds. 鈥淏ut it's a problem throughout the entire province- both in rural areas and in cities.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭here's a study that shows that in typical rush-hour traffic in an urban area, a driver has to keep track of about 3,000 different things- for example, signs, bicycles, pedestrians and a lot more,鈥� explains Simons. 鈥淚n comparison, on a non-combat mission, the same study states that a fighter pilot only has 300 similar factors to be aware of.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he point of that example is that technology can make driving a lot safer- with the addition of things like airbags in vehicles. But it can also make things a lot worse- and cellphones used improperly- and illegally- behind the wheel are one of those things.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Two sections of Saskatchewan's Traffic Safety Act address driver distraction: One deals with cellphone use behind the wheel and the other deals with undue care and attention.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Legislation banning the use of hand-held cellphones became law in the province on Jan. 1, 2010. Motorists are prohibited from using hand-held cellphones to talk, text, email or otherwise use the internet while operating a motor vehicle. In June 2014, subsequent offences (within 12 months) for using electronic communication equipment while driving result in a seven-day vehicle impoundment.
听听听听听听听听听听听 New drivers- those in the Graduated Driver's Licensing program- are prohibited from using hands-free devices. Experienced drivers are legally allowed to use hands-free devices, but pulling safely over to the side of the road to take or make a call is still recommended by both law enforcement and insurance providers.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Other examples of distractions behind the wheel include: personal grooming, using GPS, eating and even pets in a vehicle. These all fall under the undue care and attention part of the Traffic Safety Act, according to Simons.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淧eople have been charged with undue care and attention for driving with a pet in the vehicle,鈥� he says, adding: 鈥淚f we see someone going all over the road- for whatever reason- we don't have to see a cellphone. That's distracted or careless driving, regardless of what caused it.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hat offence has been around longer than cellphones and we're still dealing with it.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The fine for violating either the cellphone section or the undue care and attention section of the Traffic Safety Act is $280. In addition, the offence will cost motorists four demerit points.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏ut the real-life consequences of either type of distracted go beyond fines and demerit points,鈥� warns Simons. 鈥淒istracted driving can be the cause of a fatality.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚 urge people to make their trips safer by pre-setting things in their vehicles,鈥� he says. 鈥淪et your radio station, set your GPS, check your mirrors before you leave and of course, always fasten your seatbelt.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚f you live on your phone, put it somewhere where you can't reach it,鈥� adds Simons. 鈥淪o you have to pull over to check it or to take or make that call.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎ll of these steps will make for a more relaxing, much safer trip.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Simons adds that modern motorists must not only be conscious of their own actions while they are driving, but also those of their fellow drivers.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淵ou also have to be defensive to be safe,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou might get your green light, but there's also the possibility that another driver might not stop at their red light when they're supposed to. So you also have to be prepared to react to another driver's action or inaction behind the wheel.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hat's something you have no control over, but there's always been that possibility with driving,鈥� says Simons. 鈥淎nd now, with more distractions available to us all, it's even more important to be the most attentive, responsible motorist you can be.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐ollisions and other accidents caused by distracted driving are avoidable and preventable,鈥� he says. 鈥淪ome common sense, pre-planning your trip and pulling safely over to use your phone can potentially prevent a lifetime of tragedy for you or someone else.鈥�
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