Ontario doctors against cellular driving

by Terri Potratz | September 15, 2008 at 09:21 am

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We've all seen it, the distracted driver yapping on the mobile and swerving all over the road, putting the lives of others at risk for the sake of making dinner plans or discussing a business deal (some of us may have even been that driver). The Ontario Medical Association of Canada has announced its disapproval on cell phone use while driving, advising that cellular use on the road greatly endangers lives.

“The OMA has found evidence that cellphone use (regardless of whether it is hands-free or hand-held) has a significant impact on the driver’s cognitive functions, visual concentration, the speed at which they can process information and, as a result, their reaction time.”

The OMA doesn’t specify exactly what it wants the Ontario government to do but, “Government initiatives to curtail the use of cellphones while driving have been implemented in Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, a number of American States, Australia and much of Europe,” it says.

In Canada, Newfoundland and Quebec have already banned cell phone use while driving, and more provinces are in the process of drafting similar legislation. Many countries worldwide have banned cellular use on the roads - India, Germany, Ireland, the UK, Norway, the Netherlands and Australia are but a few who have implemented the law. Violators are subject to hefty fines and possible jail time.