Cell Phones & Driving
Using a cell phone while driving can be dangerous. Many doctors have seen many patients arrive in the emergency room as the result of a car accidents connected to cell phone use while driving. That’s why Doctors Nova Scotia called for government to make using cell phones while driving illegal in the province.
In December 2007, the government did just that.
The law, which went into effect April 1, makes it illegal for anyone to use hand-held cell phones or text messaging devices while driving. Hand-held cell phones can be used to report an emergency situation. For more information visit the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal online.
Doctors Nova Scotia supports this law. During its 2007 annual general meeting the association voted to partner with like-minded organizations to lobby the government to ban the use of cell phones while driving. The association, in fact, suggested the legislation go a step farther and also ban the use of hands-free cell phones. Drivers using hand-held and hands-free cell phones are both more likely to be involved in rear-end collisions and miss important signals such as traffic lights and stop signs or a vehicle braking in front of them.
Research dating back to 1997 shows serious safety concerns around cell phone use while driving. British and American studies show a similar impairment when drivers are talking on a cell phone as when driving with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.