Canadian drivers just aren鈥檛 getting the message.
According to a recent poll conducted by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), 33 per cent of respondents admitted to texting while stopped at a red light in the past month, and that鈥檚 despite strict laws across the country against distracted driving -- an offence that can lead to harsh fines and even the loss of demerit points.
"It's socially unacceptable to drive drunk, and that's where we need to get with texting," Jeff Walker, the CAA鈥檚 vice-president of public affairs, told The Canadian Press.
"Attitudes are beginning to shift, but our actions need to follow."
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Const. John Hall of the Ottawa Police Service says the effect of texting at a red light doesn鈥檛 end when you put down your phone.
鈥淎pproximately 20 seconds, 30 seconds after having used your phone, you're still off of the task of driving,鈥� Hall told CTV Montreal.
鈥淭hat's well within the time you're going through that intersection.鈥�
Interestingly, according to the CAA survey, 70 per cent of Canadians also believed that using a phone while stopped at a red light is unacceptable.
It is against the law for drivers to use their phones, whether their car is moving or not. For years, authorities have been trying to get that message through. There have been sobering ad campaigns as well as creative ways to catch unsuspecting drivers in the act, such as police officers riding streetcars or posing as construction workers.
Penalties for distracted driving vary by province, from $100 to $400 in Newfoundland and Labrador to as much as $1,200 in Prince Edward Island, where drivers can also gain five demerit points.
The CAA would still like to see penalties stiffened.
鈥淲hile the charges for distracted driving increased, they haven't increased like they have for tickets for drinking and driving, and we do see that that is where we have to go,鈥� Amy Orfanakos, a CAA spokesperson, told CTV Montreal.
Cheryl Derry of Winnipeg would likely agree. In 2011, her husband Mark was on his way to work when he was killed by a driver who had been sending a text. Derry says that if harsher consequences won鈥檛 change people鈥檚 behaviour, perhaps seeing her pain will.
鈥淚n a matter of five minutes, my husband was dead and he wasn't doing anything wrong,鈥� she told 麻豆传媒. 鈥淗e was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.鈥�
With files from CTV鈥檚 Vanessa Lee, CTV Montreal and The Canadian Press
