Canada Shows How to Go Off the Deep End

There are times when quite innocently, and through an abundance of caution, it is possible to really screw things up. It is always a problem with government, and one shown today by our neighbors to the north.

Canada has enacted legislation which bans any sort of activity which would deter the driver from full attention on the road while driving, though the story from slashdot shows some unexpected results -

“To cut down on accidents caused by drivers who aren’t paying attention, in Ontario it is now a ticketable offense to text, email, or navigate with your GPS while driving. But it seems to me that they have thrown the baby out with the bathwater, because it is now also a $500 fine to change your radio station, change songs on your MP3 player, or even drink your morning coffee. It can also be enforced to the point where changing the climate controls on your dash can get you fined because it requires you to take your hands off the wheel. Though this was a good idea, it seems to have been taken a little too far.”

While this will not happen often, those who become embroiled in enforcement of this statute are going to be right in claiming selective enforcement, because anything else would require actions of a thought police to fully enforce.

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Technorati Tags: Canada – driving safety – handheld devices – car radios – cell phones – GPS devices – MP3 players – $500 fine – heater control – air conditioning control

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