A Quebec man has been sentenced to four years in prison after he was convicted of killing a man and injuring two youngsters while texting & driving. Martin Carrieres exchanged 34 text messages immediately before the accident, police investigators found. The judge found "flagrant negligence" and said she wanted "to send a clear message to the public" about distracted driving. The crash occurred in March 2012. Quebec's new distracted driving penalties went into effect June 30, 2018. First-time fines for holding a portable communications device run $300 to $600, doubling for subsequent … [Read more...]
Save a life hack, simplified
July 26, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Ontario has dispatched a round-mouthed announcer to promote the "save a life hack." The guy can't even pronounce "algorithm," but wonders: "What if the solution isn't more technology, it's less … " Catch the wry video to reveal this low-tech marvel of an idea to fight distracted driving. (It's part of the province's "put down the phone" campaign.) pic.twitter.com/Gr0I0mqzW1— Steven Del Duca (@StevenDelDuca) July 19, 2016 Steven Del Duca is the Transportation minister who last year oversaw Ontario's increase in distracted driving punishments. Canada recently saw a … [Read more...]
Pokemon game raises distraction fears
July 12, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Safety officials are trying to stop a wave of distracted driving caused by the "Pokémon Go" game before it starts. Warnings have been issued in numerous states about hazards presented by the "virtual" smartphone game, in which players hunt "wild Pokemon" characters in the real world. "Catching virtual creatures to get to the next level is not worth risking your life or the lives of others," officials in New York warned, noting that the craze has taken the safety community by surprise. "No Pokemoning from behind the wheel," the Washington State DOT urged in a Tweet days after the game … [Read more...]
California: 13% of drivers on phone
June 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment
About 13 percent of California drivers are busy using cell phones while behind the wheel -- up from almost 10 percent in 2015 -- a state study suggests. Almost 8 percent of the state motorists were deemed to be driving distracted due to electronic device use, up from 5.4 percent. The state Office of Traffic Safety called the results of its sixth annual observational study "discouraging, but not totally unexpected." "Typing" and "posting" by drivers were up almost a third in the 2016 study, although "nearly all types of usage were up." The report -- "Observational Survey of Cell … [Read more...]
Louisiana texting fines now start at $500
June 15, 2016 by 27 Comments
Distracted drivers in Louisiana will see significantly higher penalties for texting or social media use while behind the wheel. Gov. John Bel Edwards on June 13 signed into law legislation that establishes $500 fines for first-time offenders of the state texting law, a penalty that will double for serial offenders. Minors will pay higher fines as well. Louisiana's new distracted driving penalties go into effect immediately. Senate Bill 91 (Act 472) comes from state Sen. Yvonne Colomb. The full Senate approved the bill in mid-April and the House followed at the end of May. Louisiana … [Read more...]
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