Ontario is taking seriously the problem of distracted driving, heeding insurance industry calls for stiffer fines and now demerit points for those guilty of texting behind the wheel.
“This is wonderful news,” said Ralph Palumbo, Ontario’s Vice-President,
Insurance Bureau of Canada. “Distractions are a factor in many collisions, and we need to convince people that the practice of texting or using the phone while driving is socially unacceptable and inherently dangerous.”
Ontario drivers could now face three demerit points and fines of up to $1,000 for distracted driving under new legislation introduced this week at Queen’s Park.
Brokers have been calling for a tougher stance on distracted driving, pointing to the same type of tough campaign that was developed in the 1980s towards impaired driving.
“There needs to be a constant vigilance, like you see with RIDE programs and seatbelts. That seems to drive the point home,” John Taylor, the president of the Ontario Mutual Insurance Association told Insurance Business. “Adding demerit points is fine – I don’t have a problem with overkill in stopping distracted driving.” (continued.)
#pb#
The bill, Keeping Ontario’s Roads Safe Act, would include:
- Increasing fines for distracted driving from a range of $60 to $500 to a range of $300 to $1,000 and assigning three demerit points upon conviction;
- Increasing fines for drivers for “dooring” cyclists from a range of $60 to $500 to range of $300 to $1,000 and raising the demerit points from two to three;
- Requiring all drivers to maintain a distance of one metre when passing cyclists; and
- Requiring drivers to yield the whole roadway to pedestrians at school crossings and pedestrian crossovers.
“We are particularly happy to see the addition of demerit points for distracted driving,” said Palumbo, “as this approach has been proven to change driver behavior more than fines alone.”
Insurance Business ran a three-part series on the problems posed by distracted driving earlier in the month. For related articles, see ‘
Demerits, vigilance will drive out distracted driving,’ and ‘
Make distracted driving a criminal offence: broker.’
