Alberta passes distracted driving law

[polak]

Originally Posted by ken0042

No. Unlike you some of us have been driving for more than 10 years, and are able to notice differences in driving habits over that time.

Consider yourself lucky that you haven't had to react quickly to something that has happened while your car is stopped. More than once I've had to react to somebody else out of control; and have been able to avoid a serious accident. Sure, I wouldn't have been at fault if that truck had smashed into the back of my car at 70 km/h. However I don't think not being at fault would have given me much comfort as I was slipping in and out of a coma.

Okay yes lets talk extremes. I'll admit that yeah, maybe you get extremely unlucky and someone loses control and hits your stopped car and maybe you were in a position to react if you hadn't had your head tilted slightly down and were reading a 30 word text message. I can list a million other things that you could be doing that is perfectly legal at that time that could cause the same delay.

Should we ban billboards and ads? Should we ban listening to the radio? Singing a song? Having a conversation? Having children in the car? Cup Holders? Maps?

Also, why are we allowed, No, TOLD to pull over and do all of these things on the side of the road?

Surely it's FAAAAAR more likely that you are hit by an out of control car on the side of a busy road than you are when your 3 cars back at a red light?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by polak

Also, why are we allowed, No, TOLD to pull over and do all of these things on the side of the road?

Surely it's FAAAAAR more likely that you are hit by an out of control car on the side of a busy road than you are when your 3 cars back at a red light?

Actually, you not are allowed to pull over on the side of the road to text/email.

1. Can I park on the shoulder of a highway to make a call?
   On provincial highways, outside of an urban area, section 43 of the Use of Highway and Rules of the Road Regulation applies and vehicles are not permitted to park on the shoulder of a provincial highway except in an emergency. This is also for safety. If you have to make a phone call, do so at a rest area, or when you stop for gas or for a bathroom break. Alternately, have your passenger make the call.
   Provincial highways are typically numbered roadways (e.g., Highway 2), but they may also be known by other names (e.g., Queen Elizabeth II or the Trans-Canada Highway).
   Municipal parking bylaws vary from place to place. You will need to consider the parking bylaws for that area before pulling over.
2. Can I send a text message or comb my hair when I am stopped at a red light?
   No. You cannot engage in distracting activities when stopped at a red light, delayed in traffic or waiting for a train. You are still driving and engaged in a traffic situation. To be compliant with the law drivers need to be legally parked before engaging in the restricted activities.

http://www.transportation.alberta.ca...teddriving.htm

[OutOfTheCube]

I checked messages when we all went into park waiting for a train to go by at Glenmore and Ogden. Would I get a ticket for that?

[polak]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Actually, you not are allowed to pull over on the side of the road to text/email.





http://www.transportation.alberta.ca...teddriving.htm

"Outside of an Urban Area..."

Literally the first sentence.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by polak

"Outside of an Urban Area..."

Literally the first sentence.

1. Can I send a text message or comb my hair when I am stopped at a red light?
   No. You cannot engage in distracting activities when stopped at a red light, delayed in traffic or waiting for a train. You are still driving and engaged in a traffic situation. To be compliant with the law drivers need to be legally parked before engaging in the restricted activities.

I guess you lost interest after the first sentence...............

[polak]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I guess you lost interest after the first sentence...............

Says nothing about being pulled over on the side of the road. Yet they tell us to pull over and call in impaired drivers and that one section explicitly exempts pulling over in urban areas... so.....

[habernac]

I remember when I was young and thought I knew everything, too.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by polak

Says nothing about being pulled over on the side of the road. Yet they tell us to pull over and call in impaired drivers and that one section explicitly exempts pulling over in urban areas... so.....

So way back when in this thread you got your panties in a twist about checking texts and emails while at a red light.


In short you can't do that.


But as I mentioned, keep it up, get your ticket, then fight it in court.

[SportsJunky]

My car has that collision early warning thingy in it. I feel like that cancels out my texting so I'm good.

[polak]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

So way back when in this thread you got your panties in a twist about checking texts and emails while at a red light.


In short you can't do that.


But as I mentioned, keep it up, get your ticket, then fight it in court.

I never said you are allowed to do it. Obviously if they're giving out tickets for it, you're not allowed.

I was saying that it's dumb that you're not allowed.

As for knowing everything, I definitely don't... I have no idea how they get those tiny ships in those glass bottles for instance. That's bananas.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by polak

I never said you are allowed to do it. Obviously if they're giving out tickets for it, you're not allowed.

I was saying that it's dumb that you're not allowed.

.

no, no it isn't

[Ashartus]

I'm all for ticketing those people who are still staring at their phones oblivious to their surroundings and the annoyed drivers behind them several seconds after the light changes green, particularly when they prevent me from getting through an intersection with a long cycle and I have to wait for the next light.

[Shawnski]

I started in the cellular business around the time of the Calgary Olympics. That is longer than many here have even been driving, or perhaps even alive.

Carphones were the norm, all with handsfree speakers and mic installed into the vehicles. This was quite safe, even safer than talking to someone IN the vehicle as you did not have any reason to turn your head and look at that person while conversing.

Portables became popular, but handsfree kits for those were usually as expensive as the phone itself or moreso, thus less utilized. This began a small but noticeable degradation in safe driving. Between the rarity of portables and airtime still being expensive, you didn't see a lot of people talking while driving, but those that did quite often stood out for their poor driving as they tried to hold these large units to their heads.

Along came Blackberries. And another degradation in driving ability. Again, the effect was a slow one, but noticeable.

Then... boom. Texting from most devices. And the result is now obvious.

Pylon claimed:

Originally Posted by pylon

I'm sorry, but nobody here can claim they don't glance at a text message or email at a red light.

I can Pylon. I can.

I don't even condone using Bluetooth handsfree as it limits your hearing by having one ear partially blocked. You cannot wear headphones while driving, and this is just about as bad.

I remember the initial objections to buying a cell phone in the early days:

"I can wait to get back to my office to get any messages"
"No calls are that important"
"I don't want to be bothered in my car"
etc, etc, etc...

Now people are the polar opposite. People are so self-absorbed that they cannot take a five minute drive without having to read/respond to a text/tweet/email or facebook update.

We, as pioneers in the cellular business certainly found a way to bury those objections over the years.

Sorry about that.

[Slava]

Any statistics to back this up? I get that you have a long history driving and with cell phones, and that's interesting, but if these things have such an enormous impact there have to be some pieces of data that support it?

I should say that no one is suggesting that the person driving on Deerfoot going 110km/hr and testing is safe. Same with people eating cereal or shaving or reading the newspaper or whatever. But I remain unconvinced that talking on the phone was as big and bad a culprit as it's been made out to be. I will change that when the numbers show that the the law has made an impact, or there is a measurable difference.

[Erick Estrada]

Back to the topic of "Alberta passes distracted driving law". There may be a law but it may as well not exist as the little slap on the wrist certainly hasn't been a deterrent. To be fair to the "driver and text crowd" the government isn't serious about it so it's hard to blame motorists for not taking it seriously.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by ken0042

No. Unlike you some of us have been driving for more than 10 years, and are able to notice differences in driving habits over that time.

Consider yourself lucky that you haven't had to react quickly to something that has happened while your car is stopped. More than once I've had to react to somebody else out of control; and have been able to avoid a serious accident. Sure, I wouldn't have been at fault if that truck had smashed into the back of my car at 70 km/h. However I don't think not being at fault would have given me much comfort as I was slipping in and out of a coma.

You are driving. And unless you are a doctor, on your way to the hospital responding to an emergency, and the attending physician is texting you for what they need to do to keep the patient stable, your text can wait. Nothing you or I do is important enough that it cannot wait.

Exactly. Being aware also helps in cases where you can't escape the collision. I've been in one significant accident in my life - a five-car wreck on 16th Avenue. I was stopped in heavy traffic when someone went through a stop sign. The car they hit spun into my car and the one behind me. I saw it the whole way and was able to brace myself for it. Walked away with just a headache. If I had been staring at a phone at that point, I would have been hit completely unprepared. and I would bet I would have been hurting far more.


Most of the arguments put forth for why people think they should be able to check messages while behind the wheel stem from little more than pure narcissism and delusions of competence. You think you are more important than everyone else, and you think you are a better driver than everyone else. I would bet that for virtually every single person making these claims, you are wrong on both fronts.

[polak]

Isn't tensing up worse for you in an accident situation? Thats what everyone always says in every drinking and driving thread. Sounds like maybe sending a text at that time would have left you in even better shape

But I like how people immediatly jump onto their high horse with this issue. Again, I listed off a bunch of things that are just as distracting as reading a text when stopped that are completely legal and no is trying to fight against. The notion that people who check their phones while stopped are some sort of reckless spawns of satan and terrible drivers is quite silly when you all do things like read ads, drink coffee, check on kids, change songs, fiddle with AC... etc.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by polak

The notion that people who check their phones while stopped are some sort of reckless spawns of satan and terrible drivers is quite silly when you all do things like read ads, drink coffee, check on kids, change songs, fiddle with AC... etc.

Let's explore these things:

read ads- You mean billboards? That is a head's up move- you are looking at your surroundings instead of down on the phone. There are also regulations and debate about what you can have on billboards.

drink coffee- covered under distracted driving

check on kids- agree that is a distraction. I would argue that is often necessary. What would you recommend- kids aren't allowed in cars? I don't know of a "solution" that doesn't sound extremely harsh

change songs- Every car I have ever owned since the mid 80s had quick access buttons. I would say texting is a closer analogy to reprogramming your radio presets or creating a playlist. Once again, this is more of a "heads up" type of thing to be doing.

fiddle with AC- Same as adjusting radio, you can only do 6 things. Hotter or colder; more or less fan; and vent adjustment (counting that as two as well) The fan and temp are quite simple, and I can do them in my vehicles without looking. I would draw the analogy of you only ever sending 6 different one character texts; without having to read the incoming text. I say that because you are either too hot or too cold, or need the air going a different direction. The latter is often due to window fogging up; or back to too hot or cold. And my dog can tell me if he is too hot or cold. (not complex thinking; like a question in a text.)

So I'd agree there are different distractions, and they have different degrees of distraciveness. Texting is the worst of them. And that's why I want the fine higher, to discourage me from doing it.

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by polak

The notion that people who check their phones while stopped are some sort of reckless spawns of satan and terrible drivers is quite silly when you all do things like read ads, drink coffee, check on kids, change songs, fiddle with AC... etc.

Change songs - button on steering wheel
Fiddle with AC - automatic climate control

You must be poor.

[Antithesis]

I still don't understand why it matters. There are text messages that are so important that they can't wait to be read until you're parked somewhere or done driving?