Nunavut drivers sole exemption from cellphone laws

The Northwest Territories will begin enforcing its distracted driving laws next month, leaving Nunavut as the only Canadian province or territory without similar legislation.

Although talking or texting on cellphones while driving may still be legal in Nunavut, Sgt. Kevin Lewis with Iqaluit RCMP said that doesn't mean motorists should believe they can get away with poor driving habits.

When a person gets behind the wheel of a car, he said, it can be every bit as dangerous as handling a weapon.

"You have to realize that that is a 2,000-pound bullet that's travelling on the road," Lewis said.

Any collision in Nunavut due to carelessness related to cellphone use can still land someone in jail, with charges for failing to drive with due care and attention.

"If somebody is found to be getting into an accident as a result of being on a cellphone or texting, they can be charged under that section as well," Lewis said.

Jail time, fines for recklessness

The maximum penalty for serious cases could be a $5,000 fine, six months in prison, or both.

Emily Keanneally-Sloan, 17, said she knows full well the dangers of using her phone behind the wheel, but that hasn't scared her.

"I kind of text all the time," she said, adding that she has had a few close calls.

"I was paying too much attention to my texts, and I was kind of almost starting to go off the road."

Cab driver Jean-Yves Belanger also keeps his phone handy in his car. Belanger, who has been ferrying passengers for 28 years in his taxi, said he doesn't think Nunavut needs a distracted driving legislation similar to the one being introduced in the Northwest Territories.

Nunavut has few paved roads and lacks a highway.

"Here's it's OK. We don't go fast," Belanger reasoned. "You know, it's 30 or 40 kilometres an hour."

N.W.T. politicians voted on the distracted driving legislation in August, applauding it as long overdue. Alberta's distracted driving laws came into effect on Sept. 1.