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B.C. asks motor vehicle superintendent to review cell phone use while driving


January 25, 2008   by Canadian Underwriter


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British Columbia public safety minister John Les has asked motor vehicles superintendent Steve Martin to study the issue of cell phone use in cars and report back by the end of February, according to a report by bclocalnews.com.
Les told the news service that he didn’t “want to presuppose what I’m going to be presented with. I’ve asked him to look generally at the issue of cell phone use while driving.”
In response to a question, Les acknowledged one aspect of the issue is to examine the possibility of a ban on cell phone use by new drivers within the graduated licensing program a measure called for by the B.C. Automobile Association.
“That’s a possible option here,” Les told bclocalnews.com. But he reiterated that all facets of how cell phones may cause danger through driver distraction would be examined.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada early in 2007 launched a campaign to make people more aware of driver distractions such as cell phone use.
“Driver distraction is a factor in up to eight out of 10 vehicle collisions in North America,” Mark Yakabuski, now the president and CEO of IBC, said in a press release last year announcing the IBC’s initiative. “It’s one of the most serious road safety issues in the country today and we know it’s also a growing concern among Canadians.”
IBC has noted that in a recent poll of Canadians, 89% of respondents were concerned about driver distractions such as talking on a cell phone.
At the same time, 60% of drivers indicated they would not stop using their cell phones when driving even after being told their cell phone use makes them four times more likely to be involved in a collision.


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