Government of Ontario Bans Talking, Texting While Driving

In a move that I applaud, the government of Ontario officially passed Bill 118, the ‘Countering Distracted Driving and Promoting Green Transportation Act’. The act bans drivers from using handheld communication/entertainment devices while behind the wheel. Bravo Ontario, bravo! The act will start to take effect this fall, to give folks time to prep for the change.

No doubt sales of Bluetooth headsets in the most populous region of Canada will see a huge boost as a result of this. The bill exempts hands-free mode and other hands-free technologies from the ban.

If you’re caught talking or texting while driving, you could face a $500 fine… if you put someone else at risk you could receive up to $1,000 fine, lose 6 demerit points… plus you could receive a suspension on your license and even some jail time!

I applaud the government of Ontario for passing this bill. I see too many drivers around my neck of the woods talking away while driving (I’m no saint either, I’ve been guilty of this). Hopefully this sets a trend that other Canadian provinces will follow.

[Via: MobileSyrup]