The ‘New’ Impaired Driving

Living in a technologically advanced era has its perks; one of them is being able to be in constant communication with anyone around the world with the click of a button or simple text message.

However, a sudden spike in car accidents due to distracted driving has forced Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation to take drastic measures.

Kathryn McGarry, MPP of Cambridge and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation, says that the new Keeping Ontario’s Roads Safe Act has

Kathryn McGarry, MPP of Cambridge and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation, shows how a man she nearly crashed into was talking on the phone. She says his lack of attention on the road caused the near-accident, which really drove home to her how serious distracted driving is.

recently been introduced in the legislature and they are working diligently in order to get the act passed by early 2015.

Currently, the fine for texting and driving is anywhere between 60 and 500 dollars, with no loss of demerit points.

The new act would impose a 300-to-1000 dollar fine for people caught texting and driving, as well as the loss of three demerit points.

Surprisingly, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Nunavut and Alberta are the only provinces that currently do not charge a distracted driver any demerit points. McGarry believes the legislation will gain traction and people will avoid the temptation of texting and driving because of it.

“Tougher measures are going to remind Ontario’s drivers that driving is a privilege, not a right.”

McGarry recently spoke to Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin, who told her that distracted driving is causing more crashes than impaired driving, and he is correct.

In 2013 alone, there were 44 deaths as a result of impaired driving, down from 116 deaths in 2011. On the flip side, there were 78 deaths in 2013 as a result of distracted driving, up from 72 deaths in 2011.

“It has become such a risk to motorists that we need to take a hard and fast stance on this,” McGarry said.

Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) is trying to do their part to help the cause as well, launching a new campaign entitled “Focus on the Road,” where drivers will pledge that they will stay focused on the road no matter what.

Their goal is to obtain 4,000 promises from drivers nationwide. They currently have 1,724 of these pledges, almost half way there.

Their oath on the pledge form states, “For my friends, my family and my future. I promise to focus on the road. I will not answer my cell phone, respond to texts, or let other distractions pull my focus away from the road or letting other distractions to pull my focus away from the road. No distraction is worth my life.”

MPP McGarry is fascinated by CAA’s effort and insists they have the right mentality.

“CAA is a great road safety partner, and their standpoint on educating the public about the dangers of distracted driving is fantastic, and they are getting a lot of traction to sign this pledge.”

Unfortunately, for some it is too late.

At the age of 17, Kelly Meyers was hit by a driver that was both impaired and texting and driving five years ago. She was leaving a party when the driver’s side mirror clipped her head, causing it to smash to the ground and split her skull wide open.

She slipped into a coma for just over two weeks, and when she finally woke she could not remember a thing and was unable to speak. Meyers’ brain had sustained too much damage, so her parents decided to pull the plug a month later.

Tyler Juszczynski in studio during the interview explaining his story.

Tyler Juszczynski, her cousin and close friend, was devastated by the traumatic events.

“This person, who I have known my whole life and loved my whole life, cannot love me back now.”

For the most part, Juszczynski insists he has remained quiet about the story, but he’s since realized that talking about Meyers and her death will help raise awareness on the dangers of distracted driving.

“It’s sad that it takes a really tragic event for people to know about this.”

McGarry was almost involved in a crash last year when a distracted driver cut her off to make a left-hand turn.

“I slammed on my breaks and came to a complete halt to allow them to make a left hand turn, and there he was on his phone, just a few inches away from my bumper.”

Distracted driving has become the new impaired driving, causing more deaths than getting behind the wheel under the influence.

Source:

Ontario Regional Police Reports, 2014.

Transport Canada, 2014.