It will soon cost you more if you get caught on your phone while driving.
The fine for distracted driving has gone up, in the hopes of putting an end to the problem.
Armand Attar is a businessman who is on the phone a lot and when he’s in his car he makes sure it works hands free. He says a close friend was seriously injured in a crash caused by a distracted driver.
“To this day he is basically hospitalized,” the Blue Mountains resident says. “He isn't the same person. A beautiful person, his life totally changed, family is gone, his wife is gone. It’s just a terrible, terrible thing.”
According to the CAA, drivers are four times more likely to be involved in a crash while talking on a cell phone and 23 times more likely to crash while texting. But many drivers carry on even though it has been illegal in Ontario since 2009.
The current fine for talking, texting, even holding your phone behind the wheel is $155 but that is going up to $280 as of March 18. Ontario's Minister of Transportation Glenn Murray says drivers haven't been getting message about how dangerous distracted driving is.
“This is as serious as drinking and driving,” he says. “It’s literally as dangerous and foolish a thing to do as getting drunk and getting behind the wheel of a car. Our drinking and driving numbers are going down but the sad news is distracted driving is increasing and we are losing more and more people every year…”
The OPP’s Martin Hachey says the law applies to all electronic devices, not just cell phones.
“It also applies to GPS units that you can buy after market and MP3 players,” he says. “If you intend to use them they must be mounted to the dash if you want to utilize them as you are driving along. Every cell phone, smart phone if you want to use those for voice communication, must be mounted to the vehicle so they are completely hands free.”
Steven Tymczuk isn't convinced hands-free solves the problem entirely.
“You don't have to take your hands off the steering wheel to answer the phone. That might be OK but you are still distracted when you are in a conversation,” he says. “Sometimes you can see it in people's eyes they are yelling and screaming and they are not paying attention to the car that is slowing down in front of them.”
Attar supports the idea of higher fines but wishes it didn't have to come to that.
“It should be about us looking after each other at the end of the day but if it comes down to tougher laws then that's what we have to do because people don't get the message,” he says.
The increase will make Ontario's fines for distracted driving among the highest in the country with the exception of Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, where maximum fines go up to $400.