More charges needed for flouting cellphone ban: transportation minister
11.08.2008 19:02
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- Source: cbc.ca
There needs to be a crackdown on Nova Scotians who continue to talk on their cellphones while driving, Transportation Minister Murray Scott said Wednesday. It has been illegal since April 1 in Nova Scotia to talk on a hand-held phone or send text messages while driving, but Scott said people still need to be persuaded to stop working the phone while they are behind the wheel. The 56 drivers observed last week in the New Glasgow area chatting or texting on their cellphone shows there is work to be done to enforce the ban, he said. "We do need that stepped-up enforcement, and I congratulate the Pictou County enforcement officers for doing that. The RCMP and local police over the last several months have laid several charges. I think the last time I checked there was somewhere over 100 [charges]. Obviously, we need to do more," Scott said. "Driver distraction is a huge cause of accidents in this province, and I'm hoping the public will understand that's why we're doing this, that's why we passed the law." In the New Glasgow test, summer students and volunteers spotted 56 drivers out of nearly 3,000 over a total of four hours, spread out over four days, either chatting or texting on their phones. The fine for a first-time offence of talking while driving starts at around $165, rising to $222 for a second offence and $337 for each additional offence. The law permits drivers to use a wireless device in an emergency. Corrections and Clarifications- Murray Scott is Nova Scotia's transportation minister, not justice minister as was originally reported. Aug. 8, 2008|12 p.m. AT
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