Resisting the urge to dial and drive

Kathryn Pagé spends more than two-hours each day in her car commuting between work and home, as well as driving to her kids’ schools and activities.

And though the Vaudreuil-Dorion mother of four thinks the new provincial regulation is “really great,” she’s witnessed plenty of people this week who are still driving and dialling.

“Oh my gosh, I see people everywhere who are talking (on hand-held phones),” Pagé said. “The new law doesn’t seem to have affected of them at all.”

For her part Pagé says the law has prompted her to simply turn the phone off while driving.

“It’s so much more peaceful now,” she says.

As a sales account manager for a large company, Jim Quinn spends a lot of time on the road going in all directions from his Rigaud home. Quinn, who does use a Bluetooth wireless headset, says he often witnesses erratic driving from fellow motorists who more often than not are talking on cellular phones.

“(The phones) are a definite distraction,” concludes Quinn, whose company has a policy forbidding its reps from talking while driving.

Chuck Quenneville of St. Lazare says he has not noticed a big difference in his talking habits this week since he only uses his cell phone to make short calls home when needed.

Quenneville, who travels 100 kilometres round-trip each day between home and work, thinks the new law will be too difficult to enforce.

“It’s really a joke, it won’t help change anything,” he says, adding that “it’s arrogant people on cell phones who talk and don’t pay attention who are the problem.”

Nevertheless, Quenneville says he’ll now pull over before making necessary calls, while he’s also thinking about buying a Bluetooth.

It became illegal to drive and talk on hand-held cellular phones or Blackberrys on April 1st, 2008. Drivers who legally want to talk must use hands-free phone systems or earpieces. A three month breaking-in period has been agreed to by police, but after July 1st, anyone caught driving and talking will have demerit points deducted and can faces fines of more than $100.