Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I continue my efforts to convince NWT residents and some MLAs, unfortunately, that driving a car and using a cell phone are not compatible. I will put some more info out there and add to the public information, which apparently is necessary to make NWT drivers realize the dangers of distracted driving.
Someone on a cell phone while driving is four times more likely to have a collision than a not-on-the-phone driver. That increase is compared to the risk of collision when driving with normal background distractions, not compared to ideal circumstances where there are no distractions; a vehicle at rest, for instance.
Making calls on a cell phone are definitely more risky than listening to the radio or talking to passengers.
I’d like to share a very true but scary story, Mr. Speaker. A few weeks ago a car was observed settling into the bush at a bend in the road on the Ingraham Trail. The car had driven across the left-hand lane at the turn and straight off the road into the bush. There was no effort to make the turn at the corner, no evidence of any use of brakes, no skid marks on the road, not even any tire tracks in the ditch. The driver was seemingly not aware that the road had a turn in it and literally flew off the road. The person emerging from the vehicle, cell phone in hand, was very lucky; the car was totalled but the driver was not hurt. Thankfully, no other vehicle was coming the other way at the instant the car crossed the road, but a few seconds later there would have been a head-on collision. Mr. Speaker, it’s important to note that this happened on an NWT highway, not a municipal road.
Just one week ago today, Mr. Speaker, the St. Pat’s Students Against Distracted Driving recognized National Students Against Impaired and Distracted Driving Day. Part of their ad from last week’s paper said, “It’s legal but you know it’s foolish so you don’t eat yellow snow, so why would you use a cell phone while driving?”
Good question. How would each of us answer it? How many of us pull over to answer our cell or ignore the call and let it go to voicemail? Not 100 percent of us, I’m sure. In an informal poll conducted by the SADD students one morning last week they counted 27 or more people driving while using their cell phone in just one hour. That’s a lot of distracted drivers, Mr. Speaker, and at the time of day when we have the highest volume of traffic.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Lastly, Mr. Speaker, a local travel agency has an ongoing challenge to NWT residents and businesses challenging us to make our cars a safe cell phone zone; no use of a cell phone in the car. So far nine businesses have taken up the challenge, but that only means there’s so many more who could join up. I’m hopeful my statement today will encourage more individuals and businesses to take up this challenge. It’s easy. Just go to www.topofworldtravel.com, fill out the form and send it in. I dare everyone who is listening to do it. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
