An Explanation of Distracted Driving Laws

Any driver should become familiar with the distracted driving laws, because when a driver has been distracted, then he or she could be declared negligent, at the time of an accident. Of course, drivers familiar with these laws should also appreciate the full range of distracting activities that have been covered under the law. Some of the examples of distracting activities:

• Bending forward, in order to adjust the vehicle’s music device
• Eating or drinking, while driving
• Looking at or talking to a passenger
• Reaching into the back seat
• Talking on the phone; performance of this activity substantiates a statement that appears later in this article.
• Texting while driving
• Adjusting the GPS
• Putting on makeup
• Lighting a cigarette

If you are unsure about the details of the new laws and regulations or have been fined due to distracted driving, it is important to talk with an injury lawyer in Oakville.

How dangerous are any of the above-listed activities?

There are dangers attached to each and every one of the listed activities. The degree to which the given activity introduces an element of danger varies. To a great degree, it reflects the number of times that the driver has performed that same activity. A situation that substantiates the previous statement developed when cell phones were first being introduced to the public.

For close to one century, drivers accepted the fact that a driver would have to get off of the road, in order to use a telephone. Hence, after introduction of the early cell phones, which were much larger than the present-day phones, drivers were not used to talking on the phone while driving. Still, some drivers felt over-confident of their skills and could not wait to take advantage of the new means of communication.

At that point, even those drivers that had been doing other distracting activities (such as eating and driving or lighting a cigarette and driving) experienced challenges. Whether they knew it or not, their driving skills suffered, as they proceeded to experiment with use of the new gadget.

Of course, the driver was not always aware of that challenge, but a passenger could be. If you see a driver go through an intersection with a stop sign, while talking on the phone, you realized immediately, that he/she was trying to perform an act at which they still lacked much skill.

If the driver does this at a rather remote spot, one in which there was little traffic, it might pass. He may not get caught. Still, if he or she got in the habit of talking on the phone while driving, and was caught doing so on a future date, they will need to pay a hefty fine, especially after the new laws that have been passed in Ontario. Sadly, such fines have not really solved the problem. Frequently, a driver will simply purchase the sort of device that facilitates use of the phone, while the driver’s hands remain on the steering wheel. That seeming convenience does not convenience others; it allows the driver to remain distracted.