Cell phones & driving outlawed. Happy now? Whats next ?

So my fellow Canadians, you've preached hard with pom-poms held high about the dangers of talking or texting on your mobile phone while driving. After all, your incapable of using common sense & doing it safely, how could anyone else? There can be no gray area, its either safe or dangerous right?

Well I would like to congratulate all of you who supported these new laws banning phones & iPods from use while behind the wheel. Your wish has come true.....and as I had brought up in an earlier posting months ago, be careful what you wish for because you have opened up a bigger can of worms than you bargained for.

Non the less its because of concerned, dexterity lacking individuals who were in favor of these new laws that we now don't need common sense to drive a car anymore. We have given our government full control of what is best for us so we don't have to make those challenging common sense choices... the right to tell us what we can & can't do in our own vehicle has now been taken to a whole new level. Government will decide whats best for us because ....you have decided we aren't capable. Safety 1st right?

So....since we've come this far, now that the government has started down this path....it would be irresponsible for them to ignore other distractions right?

Are you a dog lover?

• "A new study conducted by the American Automobile Association (AAA) that was based on 1,000 dog owners who have driven with their pet in the car during the past year. They found that 31 percent of those who responded admitted to being distracted by their dog. Furthermore, 59 percent have engaged in various distracting behaviors involving their pets – this included petting their dog (more than 50 percent); allowing their dog to sit on their lap in the driver’s seat (21 percent); and giving their dog food and water or playing with them while driving."

Are you a music lover?

• "Listening to loud music while driving can seriously hamper reaction times and cause accidents, new research suggests. ".......BBC News

Are you a coffee drinker?

• "Woman sweetening coffee drives into Santiam River"......Lynne Terry, The Oregonian

Are you an idiot behind the wheel?

• Don't worry about it...its the same old drivers test that an 90 year old could pass.After all since your no longer able to use a cell phone your chances of getting in an accident are reduced to 80%.
• "Ontario does not require drivers to take their road tests near where they live, so many drivers strategically schedule the tests at far-flung locations where they think they will get an easier ride. Some Toronto driving schools charge $200 to drive students hours away to small towns like Bancroft.".....thestar.com

Or how about just disabling these devices automatically without your consent?... 
D.O.T. exploring technology that would disable cell phones in cars

So people.....unless you want to be wearing a helmet behind the wheel, you have to make a choice before this gets out of hand....and don't kid yourself, it will get out of hand if you people don't wake up. The government loves an excuse to fine you & increase its revenue.They are more than happy to create new laws.

Take responsibility for your own actions, don't blame gadgets. Demand that drivers testing be challenging & realistic in a worst case scenario aka rush hour. Make defensive driving courses mandatory. You want people to start taking public transit? You want less cars on the road? Don't give bad drivers a license to operate a motor vehicle! Force them to use other means of transportation. Toughen up the standards. .... as a result... reducing road congestion & traffic jams, reducing accidents, reducing carbon emissions, reducing auto insurance rates. Get rid of the cell phone ban, get our freedom back.

Distractions are a normal part of healthy, every day life. Learn to live with them and make smarter choices, asses the risks involved with the actions you take. Stop begging the government to create stupid laws without considering the future implications from every angle. Don't sell out one inch of freedom because they will always take a mile.

More information available about new laws on cell phone use while driving at ....
www.drivecellsafe.ca