The real problem in the fact that they will hand almost anybody a drivers license, ANYBODY!!! There is no real challenge given to the new driver before he/she is handed a license. There is no "real world" or "worst case scenario" testing done for reaction time, no obstacle course, no defensive driving challenges, no special skills required at all other than point the front of the car where you want to go. The same basic testing is given to everyone regardless of your abilities & the road tests are always done in ideal driving conditions....because the tester/instructor doesn't want to die during the road test, yet is more than happy to send another unskilled driver out on the road with the rest of us with certification in hand. Airline pilots are tested under stressful conditions before they get to fly, it would make sense for new drivers to be tested on an open course like you would see on the TV show "Canada's Worst Driver". That my friend...would save lives.
When you consider that roughly 25% of the drivers really shouldn't be on the road at all....let just imagine taking them out of the picture & off the roads , reducing traffic by 25%, reducing automotive carbon fuel emissions by 25%, reducing the chance of accidents occurring, reducing auto insurance premiums, reducing wear & tear on the road systems, all this would also reduce congestion & travel times from point A to B which only increases road safety that much more while being able to travel faster along side better drivers.
Banning cell phone use while driving is not going to solve any safety problems on the roads. You can ban all the distractions you like but the fact is....if you can’t handle a vehicle safely in ideal conditions without distractions , adding the distraction only compounds the problem but it is not the cause. These new laws are not going to get rid of the bad driver or lack of better judgment. I would easily talk and drive on the drive on the highway from Regina to Winnipeg but wouldn't dare attempt it on the Sea to Sky Highway in the Rocky Mountains. That is a judgment call most good drivers would make , yet its the idiot who crashes who makes the news. It’s all relative to the situation you’re in & where you are.
Considering how many idiots they let drive it’s no wonder they want to blame phones because the Provincial Government doesn't want to accept responsibility for allowing idiots on the road in the 1st place. Penalizing people whom are capable of multi-tasking because the bad drivers who aren't capable is wrong. Distractions are a part of life , they are expected, unavoidable, if they were really that dangerous we would all be dead by now. If you are not capable of driving with distractions then you should not be allowed to drive. It’s just that simple. If we let the government outlaw phone use in cars this year...next year it will be car stereos.......then pets...then coffee.....blinking...It’s just a way for government to chisel away your freedom ....one little bit at a time. If you think it’s going to stop at cell phones....just wait till the government figures out that they have set precedent & that they must ban every controllable distraction in the vehicle.
...and that's my 2 cents.
