Alberta doctors to province: ban cellphone use while driving

Last Updated: Friday, August 29, 2008 | 1:07 PM ET

CBC News

Alberta doctors say they support a private member's bill that calls for a ban on the use of cellphones while driving.

The bill, introduced in April by a Progressive Conservative backbencher, is being reviewed by a committee of the Alberta legislature.

The Alberta Medical Association plans to make a submission to the committee.

"There is sound scientific evidence that using a cellphone while driving can be extremely dangerous," association president Dr. Darryl LaBuick said in a news release on Friday.

"It greatly increases your chance of a serious road crash resulting in a hospital stay. The consequences of serious collisions can last a lifetime. As physicians, we see truly tragic evidence of this every day in our practices."

He said studies show that the risk of a collision increases four to six times while using a cellphone, reaction times slow by 18 per cent and the likelihood of failing to stop at a stop sign increases 10 times.

New research is beginning to measure the dangers of text messaging behind the wheel, he said.

The private member's bill, Traffic Safety (Hand-Held Communication Devices) Amendment Act, 2008, has passed second reading.

It calls for a ban on hand-held devices only but LaBuick said the association is calling for a ban on both hand-held and hands-free devices because it believes both are dangerous.

"This is an important first step toward what we hope will be a full ban in the future," he said.

Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland already have legislation that restricts hand-held cellphone use while driving.