Thank you CBC for this program. I am just amazed at Dalton Mcguinty's decision to allow Ontario drivers to keep their cell phones attached to their ears while driving. This is not to say that banning cell phones while driving is the solution.

Nova Scotia is the first province that has outlawed cell phones while driving, but who and how is it going to be enforced? If police has hard time catching speeders, how are they going to catch all who use cell phones? If hand held and wireless phones are all the same, why are car companies allowed to install wireless features?

I am not sure if we are looking at the problem the right way. Well more relaxing driving conditions make people relax? More highway lanes? unlimited speed limits? anyone with better ideas?

I have been driving for a living my whole life. I am 45 years old.I have watched the advent of the car phone followed by the cell phone.

I have driven a delivery and pick up vehicle in Detroit and Toronto since 1987.

The worst possible thing people do, that is not illegal, is talk on the phone while driving. I think that about a third of drivers can talk and drive well. For the sake of that third, we should not forego banning cell phone use.

Hands free is definitely worse but just talking on the phone is too distracting for the large majority of drivers. I know how distracting it is to use a two way radio for courier purposes.

I am a trained Safety Officer in my driving facility of over 200 drivers. If we don't listen to experts (like me)and ban cell phone use in cars, who are we listening to by continuing to allow phone use while driving?
Who should be accountable for the ensuing cost and carnage?
(Emergency personnel can be exempt)

I was glad to see this program. Hopefully some will see themselves as one of those aggressive drivers who doesn't think about what could happen if they cannot react in time.

My wonderful husband was killed by a very negligent driver. This person, while speed-ing, went over five sets of speed bumps, past a warning of a major intersection, a warning of a stop sign, a big stop sign on both sides of the highway, AND a red flashing light, oblivious to all to hit and kill him. Her first question to the Officer as she walked
away was "Was I supposed to stop?" She was not held responsible by those who are supposed to care about our safety. What kind of message does that send out??

I swear we have the worst drivers in our Province and we seem to have a reputation far and wide for that. I chalk bad driving up to just plain not caring about other
human beings. There seems to be more of that as the years go by. Statistics show it is past time every driver showed they care. I say every driver needs to put themselves in the place of a victim (I and my sons were 'victims') and ask yourself how you would feel if someone's lack of caring harmed you or your loved ones. Well...............??

You are correct in pointing out that people resent having to drive so much, and for not gaining, when they do, the freedom they were promised. And that the result is dangerous, distracted, and just plain pooped driving.

But I saw nothing in the show to suggest ways to reduce the _need_ to drive, or of a kind of access that has been developed for those who have found a way: carsharing.

Chris Bradshaw
member of Vrtucar, Ottawa

Recently they said on 530live on Chch tv that 90 percent of the impaired drivers were reoffenders.

If they try to reduce the rate for drunk driving and any other offences they need to keep them in jail longer. If your in jail they do not do it again or as often, simple math.

They can figure out how long to keep offenders in jail to reduce statistics by fifty percent. If jail space is the problem put a surtax of 100 a month on my taxes to build more jails.

The thing that bugs me the most is when
someone uses the words "consitution and criminals rights" in the same sentence.

Totally fantastic doc... and scary as hell!

I enjoyed The Mad, Bad and the Ugly from that finger waving position an urban designer can often be accused of taking, that of blaming cars for all the evils of the modern world.

However, the documentary seemed only to touch on one aspect of the pitfalls that are associated with automobile use. This being the stress and subsequent road carnage that goes hand in hand with our ever growing auto-dependency.

It was nice to see the European examples of shared space but it would have also been nice to see urban designer's efforts to reduce auto-use through land use planning. One of the goals of most contemporary urban designers is to reduce auto-dependency and offer alternatives to the car (rail and the like which would be the same as fully automated cars) and hence reduce stress derived from being forced to drive and then down the line also hopefully reduce the amount of road carnage.

That was a great doc. and hit very close to home with me. I work in customer service mostly over the phone and I get two or three calls a week of people driving while buying tickets, changing tickets or just writing down information, while driving. They are quite happy to admit they are driving on streets and hi-ways while looking for a pen, paper, tickets or thier credit cards.I think very few people give it a second thought to driving while otherwise occuppied, even when I do mention that maybe they should pull over, I'm treated like I'm the crazy one becuase buying tickets to a show is worth a human life or two.
Thanks for running important doc.

I think you forgot to mention one extremely important aspect of how people are driving. You skirted around the subject of the 'Cowboy' image but never focused on the irresponsible ads that car manufactures make today. What about the cool, fun, reckless image to which people like to identify? You never addressed the very serious impact advertising has on young drivers.

For example 2 years ago during the soccer world cup Hyundai advertised 2 young men whizzing around a round about and when the car comes to a halt the dizzy driver gets out and hands the steering wheel to his passenger and says "your turn!"...as if they were on an amusement part ride.

Recently Nissan is advertising their new Versa by showing a bouncing car that bounces through traffic and the passengers are having a screaming great time...Although driving should be an enjoyable experience one must remember that the driver is operating heavy machinery. He/she holds his/her life in hand as well as passengers and all others surrounding.

In a factory, operating heavy machinery is taken very seriously with companies using only the most highly skilled workers, not to mention all the government safety regulations that are required and enforced. I think car advertising needs to be seriously re-examined...just like ads for cigarettes and alcohol....if we need to send an message to all drivers and project an image then let's ensure it is one of serious responsibility first towards others and second to ourselves.

Car companies can certainly make ads about the handling and safety of their vehicles, but they don't need to be projecting the type of driving image that leads people to believe that the car will simply handle itself despite their bad driving.

Hello To All of you!

My name is Abhish Birla and I'm the producer of the doc in question. Thanks for all of your comments! Please keep them coming! I'd be happy to answer any specific questions you might have and will be checking this site regularly, so ask away!

Thanks for watching and tell your friend s about the re-broadcast on Saturday morning!

A.

Thanks for this great and well constructed documentary! The subject is large to cover. The portrait of the irresponsible behaviour of drivers is sketched and analyzed in a clever and intelligible way. The angle adopted by the documentary is non aggressive for the audience, effective and convincing. The cartoon approach to such a serious subject is both unusual and appealing and makes it more likely to trigger introspection and help people be more responsible. The breath taking insert of the teenage car crash is powerful and leads the viewer to pay constructive attention to the core of the subject!

Thanks for this non-boring and useful documentary!

Your documentary was excellent - so much so, that I would like my two sons to see it, as they are getting close to driving age and already talking about their first car. Will you be showing it again?

I was particularly interested in the study that showed hands-free cellphones were just as distracting as hand-held.

This documentary should be required viewing for new drivers! (And perhaps even renewing drivers!!) Thanks for a great program.

I enjoyed this program. A couple comments

Even though we hear about police enforcement campaigns on long weekends; I really wonder how much of a priority traffic enforcement really is. 15 years ago, I would see a radar trap on my way to work at least once a week. Today, I haven't seen one in over a year. I haven't gone through a drunk driving check in years either, even though I'm out and about on weekend evenings.

While on foot I was almost run over by a driver running a stale red light. I got their license plate nyumber and I called the police to complain. The police took the information on incident and told me if THREE other people complained, they would send the driver a letter. Can you imagine how bad of a driver you have to be to receive three complaints? And the only action taken is a stern letter!

I saw a reckless transport truck (no trailer) who was weaving through rush-hour traffic, 5 of his 8 rear tires were bald to the point of showing cord, and he didn't yield for an ambulance with it's siren on. I called the Truck Safety line to complain. They had an answering machine rather than a real person on the phone. And their message said that without a license plate they would not follow-up on a complaint. So while I had the truck company information, and the trucks ID#. The license plate was missing or covered in mud. I didn't bother leaving a message. Not having a person answer the phone really showed how serious a complaint would be handled.

There is a real gap between the PR from the government on traffic safety and the actions on the ground. (at least in BC) It's leading to drivers who believe that traffic laws don't apply to them.

Great show..I like the part about driving being so safe and boring that people stop paying attention and seem to think they can talk on the phone and read the paper.I say raise the speed limit and outlaw automatic transmissions. Most of the people driving right now are just pylons on the road of life and should really be riding the bus.

Best doc I've seen in years on driving habits & stress on the roads. It puts things in perspective.
Some of us who are always on the road have been guilty at one time or another of at least a few bad driving habits. It certainly is food for thought.

Thank you for this program, it was very informative. I liked the comment on car usage not being what they are advertised to be and thus causing frustrations.

The "Shared space" component was also touching on some interesting views where the drivers take control of the situation keeping them alert and allowing traffic to flow at its intended pace.

I would like to see a follow up to this Doc. where traffic flow is examined. Currently stopping the flow is the preferred control measure. Why are we not implementing intelligent traffic lights that are capable of sensing if there are cars present, and at which point in the intersection? Sensing light or no traffic, like after 12pm 'optimize stop and idling time' helping environment impact.

I believe there will be a direct correlation between frustrated drivers and how the traffic flows or in this case lack of flow. Let's view this from the 'drivers' perspective and those that like to drive and regard safe driving as a pleasure in our short lives.

Just saw the rerun on Newsworld. The suggestion that the clam, clue, and corrected types are the best drivers reminded me of an update I learned in university many years ago of the Biblical adage, "The meek shall inherit the Earth." It seems that in Jacobian English, "meek" meant "slow to anger", or composed. So perhaps the hotheads killing themselves off in traffic are part of the process.

Of course, the collateral damage is fairly serious ...

I was disappointed by the overriding sexist tone of the moderator when contrasting and comparing different groups of drivers. I am referring to the following: "The group that has the best reflexes, skills and sight are often the most reckless." Is the moderator (and hence the CBC) endorsing and/or perpetuating steroetypes of men as the more "skilled"drivers. Have we not progressed as a society where we at least try NOT to be sexist. This is unacceptable on behalf of the CBC. If this comment were direct at a particular race, it definitely would not have been said. So, isn't it time that a more even-handed tone is pursued so that everyone, including impressionable youth do not embrace such comments? Shame on CBC - I expected better.