Bill 16, Distracted Drivers Act Amendment Act, 2010 (Amendment A3)
November 15, 2010
Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m pleased to rise on the amendment that the hon. Member for Airdrie-Chestermere has brought forward because when I spoke on this bill previously, that’s one of the things that I had brought in my speaking notes in regard to the prohibited activities in 115.4. I want to get it on the record that I do support this bill. The constituents of Calgary-Fish Creek have indicated very clearly by phone and by e-mail and on my web page that they want me to support Bill 16, and quite interestingly enough in the Twitter world they’re also twittering us. We’re finding it quite interesting because we obviously have some followers that are following some of the comments of my colleague from Airdrie-Chestermere and giving us some examples in regard to some of the things that they’ve seen.
As I indicated when I was speaking before on this particular section, you see a lot when you drive highway 2, or the Queen E. I spoke in support of this bill when the hon. Member for Calgary-Hays brought this forward in his first attempt, and I talked about some of the things that I had seen when I was driving. Then it was punted into committee, and now it’s back. It’s interesting how quickly the government can change because at that point in time there was no way at all that they were going to support this.
Things have been interesting, Mr. Chair, as I was telling my colleagues after we were coming back from the AAMD and C reception that we attended, hosted by the minister. We went to grab something to eat, and I was driving up early on Sunday. I had been watching, actually, because I indicated when I was speaking on this that I was one of those people trying to break my cellphone habit while I was driving down the highway and only using it if there was an emergency.
Anyhow, I’m driving, and I’m watching this individual in front of me as they’re weaving on the highway, and I thought: ah, cellphone user. So I catch up, and I’m watching, and I honestly drove off the highway. She was reading a book. I thought I’d seen everything. She had her book on her steering wheel, open, and there she was reading and occasionally bringing her head up as she was reading the book. I know that’s contained in the legislation that they’ve brought in, reading or viewing printed material, and I can certainly see why they’ve brought that forward.
What I’m finding under this section and why I would like to see it taken out as per the amendment is that I just think it’s too prohibitive. I think if you let our police department and our sheriffs and the peace officers that are on the highways that do an incredible job make the decision and let them decide what they think should be prohibited – you know, it could be a host of things. I talked about the personal grooming, and I talked about the hygiene, but it could also be – and it’s not in here – that you attempt to drive down the highway with a coffee in one hand, and you might have an Egg McMuffin or a doughnut in the other hand. That can be dangerous on the highway.
What I’m finding quite interesting now is that newer cars have got movies in them. Now, I do realize – and I’m not a car girl – that most of the movies are contained for the passengers in the back, but I’m not sure if there are movies allowed if you’re sitting in the front. You know, you have to be careful if somebody is listening attentively to this movie in the back and not paying attention to the road. I will support my colleague’s amendment in regard to striking out (b) under Regulations, but I will also again put on the record that I do support Bill 16, the Traffic Safety (Distracted Driving) Amendment Act, 2010. I just think that our police and our peace officers on the highway need to use the discretion.
My only other concern is that from driving that highway all the time, the majority of the time when I’m seeing peace officers, it’s because they’re pulling somebody over for whipping down the highway at 150 or 160 kilometres an hour, and I’m just trying to rationalize: if they’re going to be taking a casual drive down highway 2, just look for somebody who will be talking on their cellphone or could be reading a book or, for that matter, reading a map. I mean, I don’t have a GPS in my car. I carry Lucy, as I call her, in the car with me, and if I need to go somewhere, then I’ll hit her, and she’ll direct me all over the place.
Again, I support the amendment that’s been brought forward, and I look forward to any discussion.