Distracted driving remains a concern for Ontario’s government and police forces.
Prior to the June 12, 2014, a bill had been introduced into parliament that concerned stricter penalties for distracted driving. As a result of the election, the bill was not passed and has yet to become legislation (law).
Now that parliament is back in session, there is a call for this bill to be reintroduced.
The bill, if passed, would impose three demerit points in addition to increasing the maximum fine to $1000. Ontario already increased the fine from $155 to $280 in March 2014 as the Liberals had expressed concern that the current fines were not serious enough. Ontario is one of the only provinces in Canada that currently does not have demerit points associated with their distracted driving fine.
Since the introduction of the distracted driving law in 2009, there has been further clarification of what “use of handheld device” while driving means. Handheld devices include cellular phones, smart phones, GPS systems that are not secured to the dashboard, portable video games or DVD players. Court decisions have confirmed that even holding a phone while driving is considered illegal.
The Transportation Minister is also in support of the proposed bill and wants it to be reintroduced as soon as possible.
A recent survey conducted for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health found that more than one third of Ontario students in Grades 10-12 admitted to texting while driving, on at least one occasion within the past year. This is of great concern to Premier Wynne and it was noted that there are now more deaths as a result of texting while driving than impaired driving and why her government wants to reintroduce the proposed legislation, as an aggressive public awareness campaign is needed.
If you or someone you know has been injured as a result of a motor vehicle accident, you may want to consider contacting a personal injury lawyer.
People may not be aware of their rights or obligations and may feel overwhelmed about the legal process. Personal injury litigation is complex and Paciocco & Mellow is a Windsor Personal Injury Firm that represents many persons who have been injured as a result of automobile accidents, slip and fall injuries and other types of personal injuries.
We understand that you may feel overwhelmed as a result of your accident and during the legal process and we strive to provide the best service possible and to help our clients in any way that we can, be it a referral to a specialist, rehabilitation provider, help securing a litigation loan or providing reassurance.
The law firm of Paciocco & Mellow aims to help provide you with Peace of Mind at a Difficult Time. Contact the Windsor personal injury lawyers at Paciocco & Mellow at (519) 915-SORE (7673). We can provide you with a free, no obligation initial consultation.