Agriculture giant Cargill has adopted a total ban on cell phone use by employees when they are driving. The move by the diversified Minnesota corporation became effective Jan. 1, 2017. Cargill's policy affects about 150,000 employees. The rules apply to all cell phone use, regardless of whether a hands-free device is employed. The ban on electronic distracted driving also extends to employees' private vehicles when they are doing company business. The National Safety Council -- which advocates a total cell phone ban for drivers -- said Cargill is the largest private corporation to … [Read more...]
Quebec: Distracted driving news
August 24, 2016 by Leave a Comment
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...]
New distracted driving laws in Miss., N.H.
July 1, 2015 by 1 Comment
Texting while driving is now illegal in Mississippi, while New Hampshire motorists will have to have to put down their wireless devices or face a ticket. Mississippi is a latecomer to the texting & driving issue, being the 45th state to ban the distracted driving practice. Gov. Phil Bryant approved the law in mid-March. Mississippi drivers caught texting while behind the wheel are subject to fines beginning at $25, but they go up to $100 in summer 2016. The originating legislation -- House Bill 389 — also outlaws social media use by drivers, but does not address cell phone use. In an … [Read more...]
Congressmen link cell phones, DOT grants
May 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment
A trio of congressmen have filed federal legislation seeking to limit distracted driving grants to states that ban handheld cell phone use and adopt primary enforcement. U.S. Reps. Eliot Engel of New York, Ted Deutch of Florida and Mark DeSaulnier of California introduced the Distracted Driving Prevention Act of 2015. The federal legislation would "amend the (U.S. Department of Transportation) process of granting money to states that have passed statutes to address distracted driving." While most states have texting & driving laws, only 14 have laws prohibiting the use of handheld cell … [Read more...]
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