Cellphone use in cars must be viewed as anti-social

Drivers can put themselves, and others, at risk by using phones.

Ralph Palumbo

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Scan traffic anywhere and you’ll catch them. Drivers with their phones held furtively to their ear or with their heads down tapping away while waiting at a red light. More terrifying is catching them speeding by you on a 100 km/h highway.

Or maybe you aren’t just catching them — maybe you are them. You’re a busy parent late for daycare, a teenager making weekend plans, a businessperson cutting a deal — for whatever reason, you have to make one quick call, send one short text. It’ll only take a few seconds, really. No harm done.

You’re fooling yourself, of course.

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When drivers take their eyes off the road to glance at a beeping phone, hands off the wheel to tap out a text, or let their minds wander in traffic, they’re placing themselves and others at risk. And this risk has increased in lockstep with cellphone use in vehicles, especially texting.

Studies show that approximately 75 to 85 per cent of all motor vehicle collisions are as a result of driver distraction and across North America it is estimated that driver distraction is a factor in four million collisions a year.

Bans that inflict punishment for cellphone use are one way governments have to address this risk. But bans and penalties are not enough. Now we need a strong public education campaign to convince drivers to drive without distractions — not just because they might get caught if they don’t, but because it’s the right thing to do and a societal norm.

Think back to the “Buckle Up Baby” campaigns. When child car seats first went on the market in the 1960s, they didn’t sell because parents didn’t understand the risks their children were exposed to and didn’t want to spend the money. Then came the regulations in the ’70s and ’80s, accompanied by a massive public education campaign that involved the medical community, insurance companies and consumer groups, along with government.

The combination of regulation and education worked. Today, almost all children travel in approved car seats (and the child death and injury rate as a result of motor vehicle accidents has dropped dramatically).

And our mindset has shifted completely. Now we are shocked if someone breaks the car-seat rule. Imagine seeing a baby sitting on a parent’s lap in a vehicle or a toddler bouncing up and down unconfined in the back seat.

When we collectively view driving while distracted with the same shock and disapproval as we now view failing to buckle up our kids, we will make real progress.

We’re moving in the right direction. Many organizations, including the Insurance Bureau of Canada, Canadian Automobile Association, the RCMP and the Canadian Medical Association have all made efforts to educate drivers.

At IBC, we have material on our website dedicated specifically to Road Safety. IBC also has a popular DUMB car exhibit, which tours the country and educates people about the issue of distracted driving. We also have videos and fact sheets related to road safety issues and distracted driving.

Unfortunately, tech-savvy young drivers often have the most difficulty resisting the siren call of the beeping, buzzing cellphone. But it’s also young drivers who have embraced the concepts of the designated driver and zero alcohol tolerance when driving.

Let’s encourage young drivers to take on the challenge of reducing distracted driving among their peers just as they’ve taking on the challenge to reduce drinking and driving with “safe grads” and “I promise” campaigns.

And let’s set the right example, starting with making a pledge to turn off the cellphone before putting the key in the ignition. You wouldn’t take a quick swig while behind the wheel, so don’t take — or make — a phone call.

Ralph Palumbo is Vice-President of the Ontario branch of the Insurance Bureau of Canada

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