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The Ontario government has introduced a new set of driving laws aimed at reducing roads accident while encouraging drivers to avoid minor distractions. The state amplified a list of those offences that may land the drivers in trouble of traffic law convictions. Among the consequences are automatic suspension of the drivers’s license. These laws are deemed towards taking effect in the early January 2019 and expected to be fully adopted by June 2018. The Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act of sections 78 (Display screen visible to driver prohibited) and section 78.1 (Handheld devices prohibited) are clearly stipulated, and very specific, and now looking into adjusting the seriousness for the concern of lives.
This could be a great relief to many as overtime; a couple of drivers have been convicted under minor offences regarding the distractions, in which deaths have also been registered due to such distractions. Such offenses being among driving while wearing earphones or headphones and loud music. The police also mentioned that having video screens front might also lead to such convictions under the new driving laws. This is a form of distraction and therefore will not be entertained. Video or television are not pardoned to distract the driver’s eye, with only allowing the GPS and those that can only be utilized securely and more hands-free.
The sources also indicated that those drivers found violating these new traffic-driving laws will be either risk having their licenses withheld, posed to hefty fines or attract demerit points. The whole idea is about having the phones mounted on the cars.
These new driving laws are geared towards reducing the number of occurrences of traffic accidents and in effect reduce the number of convictions and so this would a two-edged benefit to both the traffic law enforcement and the local drivers. These laws are projected towards radiating initially in the Ontario province of Canada and the effect may then be replicated elsewhere in the future.
How to Mount Your Phone in Your Car Properly
With distracted driving becoming a significant nightmare for most drivers globally, it is an ordeal to be focused on. An intensive research by the Insurance Corporation of B.C. approximating nearly 25% of all vehicle crashes include distracted driving cases. It kills approximately 78 people per year in B.C.
You realize how important you smartphone can be, having a means of communication with friends and family, form of entertainment, plus a helper in driving as a means of GPS. Well again, it may not be that awesome if not nicely set up, you having to look elsewhere while driving; this may lead to accidents. The Ontario government is trying to make drivers avoid such distractions.
You phone needs to be properly set in best car mount holder somewhere on your car, at least a bit far from the driver. This is how you can properly and efficiently achieve this;
It is highly advised that your phone or handset must be either in your personal pocket or nicely secured to the dashboard or vent to comply with B.C. distracted driving laws or standards. This must be done in an effort to avoid distractions from driving. In simple words, the phone must not be placed where it can block you from viewing the road properly. In occasions where you use the GPS feature, the handset should precisely programmed before you set for the journey; simply meaning you are not supposed to input data while driving.
You are prompted to purchase one of the phone mounters fetching for between $10 and $100, greatly depending on the quality and complexity of the product and your pocked load status. The mounting devices can be accessed at drug stores and electronics stores, of which can also be ordered and purchased online. Plausibly, you are advised to be capable of affixing this device to your vehicle dashboard or vent in in such a careful way that only forces you to slightly look down to have a glimpse of your GPS system readings.
What’s allowed and what isn’t
It is worthy to remember that these new distracted driving laws doesn’t only pertain to the vehicle drivers, but cyclists as well. The laws clearly defined what’s allowed and what isn’t. That sounds more clear now. It may be the most friendly law. Well, if that may be the case. Here you go.
Under the sections 78 and 78.1 of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, these are what you can’t do according to the law;
- Text, dial or e-mail
- Use hand-held electronic entertainment devices, like iPods or other portable MP3 players and GameBoys.
- View display screens unrelated to driving on devices like laptops, tablets and DVD players.
- Use hand-held wireless communication devices like cell phones, iPhones or BlackBerrys handsets.
- Program a GPS device, other than by voice commands.
- Finally yet importantly; adjusting the GPS while driving.
- But, you are allowed to do the following legally, i.e without facing any convictions under these sections of the traffic laws;
- View the display screens of GPS units that are integrated into the vehicle or mounted on a dashboard and not obscuring the driver’s view;
- Use hands-free wireless communications devices with an earpiece, lapel button or Bluetooth device;
- Use portable MP3 players hands-free, as long as they’re secured in or mounted to the vehicle.
- Call 911
It is important to note that the above laws are an exception to the emergency services operators. Such may be Fire Fighting emergency responders and the medical emergency responders. So to be on the safe side of the Ontario’s new distracted driving laws, you must get equipped with these existing laws, or else you may face losing your driving license, demerit points and get convicted. Be an early adopter today.
