麻豆视频

The new distracted driving legislation comes into effect on Feb. 1. And while there are several different offences that are covered under distracted driving, the catalyst for the new legislation could be summed up into one word: cellphones.

We love our cell phones. We need our cell phones. But ever since mobile phones started to become prevalent in the early-to-mid 1990s, distracted driving has become a growing issue.

And now that we can text and email and check hockey scores and take photos and videos on our phones, and do a myriad of other things that we couldn鈥檛 have imagined in 1995, they can be a perpetual distraction.

I can鈥檛 imagine not having my cellular phone. If I forget it, I feel like a part of me is missing. I鈥檒l argue that my phone addiction is because I have no life outside of work, and my phone is essential for me to do my job.

It allows me to check and send email, receiving breaking news stories, look at our website鈥檚 Google Analytics account, keep in contact with sources, find out the scores and know what is happening in the world.

I received my first cell phone as a Christmas gift in 2000. It was a rather basic early 21st century device that was good for two things: making and receiving phone calls. The rather quiet ring tone was Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Games were simple. No apps. No texting. No internet.

I didn鈥檛 get my first smart phone until Christmas in 2009. Looking back, I can鈥檛 believe I did this job without smart phone technology for nearly a decade.

But I always understood the risk associated with using my cell phone when driving, even when I had the device whose purpose was saying 鈥渉ello鈥� and 鈥済ood-bye,鈥� as my parents would say. And my folks made sure that I was aware of the dangers of driving while distracted.

I also remember the outcry in some circles when the first distracted driving legislation came into effect in Saskatchewan in 2010. I didn鈥檛 share that dissenting opinion; I thought it was progressive that Saskatchewan and other provinces were bringing in these laws to punish people for using their cell phones while driving.

Now we can鈥檛 believe that people were stupid enough to complain about distracted driving laws.

In fact, I鈥檇 say that anyone who complains about these laws now would likely be characterized as a loser or immature. If you鈥檙e complaining about stiffer fines for distracted driving, it鈥檚 likely because you compulsively use your phone while driving.

It鈥檚 kind of like impaired driving; the only people who have a problem with stiffer impaired driving punishments are the ones who are worried they might get caught.

Are you troubled by the $580 fine for a first offence? Don鈥檛 use your cellphone while driving. Are you concerned about the $1,400 and $2,100 fine for the second and third offence, respectively, if they happen in a 12-month time frame? Don鈥檛 make the same mistake twice.

I think it鈥檚 great that repeat offenders would be at risk of having their vehicles seized, but what might really hurt is if their phone was seized for a week.

The most troubling part about this legislation is that the government has to ratchet the fines so high to create such a deterrent.

Twenty years ago, distracted driving was a problem, but we didn鈥檛 need a law. We needed to ask people to exercise common sense, and know that if the phone rings, it has to go to voice mail.

I don鈥檛 think anyone was apprehended for playing Snake on their phone and driving in 2001.

Now there are so many people with phones that can do so many things that we have no choice but to have these laws.

Texting and driving wasn鈥檛 a thing in 2000. Now it鈥檚 a major issue. And not just among young people. There are a lot of adults guilty of this highly dangerous action.

Twenty years ago, nobody was trying to take photos from their vehicle while they were driving, at least not with their phone鈥檚 camera. Twenty years ago, nobody would have thought of watching a cat video or checking their Facebook page while driving.

Twenty years ago everybody still had a land line. Now so many of us, myself included, have axed the landline in favour of strictly a mobile phone, especially since the reception for cell phones is so much better than it was even 10 years ago.

We鈥檝e become too connected to our phones. I鈥檓 guilty of this as well. During the time it took to write this column, I have checked my phone several times.

When you鈥檙e driving, though, put the damn thing away. Don鈥檛 look at it. Don鈥檛 respond to the ringtone or the message for text. Don鈥檛 let it control your ability to be safe on the road.

It鈥檚 nice that you鈥檒l save some money if you don鈥檛 drive while distracted. But more importantly, you won鈥檛 put people鈥檚 lives at risk.聽