Yukon distracted-driving ban could be expanded

Yukon's proposed ban on using cellphones while driving could be amended, if necessary, to include related gadgets, according to government officials.

MLAs are debating a proposed amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act that would ban the use of hand-held electronic devices while driving. If passed, the ban would take effect on April 1, 2011.

The proposed ban would allow those with full driver's licences to use hands-free devices such as Bluetooth wireless headsets to make phone calls while driving.

However, some experts argue hands-free devices are no safer to use than hand-held phones because it is the mental distraction that leads to accidents.

Still, Yukon transportation officials say it is important for the territory's distracted-driving ban to be in line with other provinces, territories and states across North America, some of which ban only the use of hand-held cellphones.

Must be consistent: official

Having legislation that deviates from similar bans in other jurisdictions would be unfair to visitors to Yukon, said Vern Janz, director of transport services with the Yukon's Highways and Public Works Department.

At the same time, Janz said the ban could evolve as those jurisdictions make improvements to their distracted-driving bans. The proposed legislation has been written so those changes would be easy to make, he said.

"We're early in the game on this. We can keep looking at the information and the statistics on it, and we've given ourselves the flexibility to further tighten it up or address it as we learn more," Janz said Monday.

"If there is more information and more of a change towards possibly addressing wireless devices and possibly addressing Bluetooth technology, we've actually built it into the legislation that we could address it through the regulations at a later point in time."

Janz said the department has yet to determine what kinds of fines should be imposed for violating the cellphone ban, assuming it is passed.

A recent study by Alan Shiell at the University of Calgary concludes that all Canadian jurisdictions should ban all cellphone use while driving, including the use of hands-free devices.

"The consensus is you're four times more likely to have an accident while driving using a cellphone than not using a cellphone, and that's equivalent to being drunk while driving," said Shiell, a professor with the University of Calgary's Population Health Intervention Research Centre.

Hands-free exemption a 'cop-out': expert

Shiell said evidence shows that it's just as dangerous to use a hands-free cellphone for a conversation because it's the mental distraction of engaging in a phone conversation that can be dangerous, not just the physical distraction of holding a handset.

"There's really no logical reason to allow hands-free use," he said. "I think it's a kind of compromise, it's a cop-out."

While Shiell said a full ban on cellphone use would save more lives, the key factor in any distracted-driving legislation is aggressive enforcement.

"Compliance is probably a function of the degree to which the laws are enforced, and where they're not enforced very vigorously, there's less compliance," he said.

A survey released last week by Highways Minister Archie Lang indicated strong public support for a distracted-driving ban and its enforcement.

Lang said of 1,600 Yukoners surveyed, about 87 per cent wanted a ban on people using hand-held cellphones while driving, while 94 per cent wanted a ban on all electronic hand-held devices. About 97 per cent said they want the RCMP to hand out tickets to drivers who violate the ban, according to the survey.

Shiell said Yukoners' support for the ban should bode well for its success.