The jury is apparently still out on what kind of impact a ban on cellphone usage at the wheel has had in British Columbia. Although early signs seem to point to a positive decline in such habits among drivers, officials believe that there is still work to do in order to ensure safety along the roads.
British Columbia made the move to ban texting or talking on a handheld cellphone a full three years ago, and since that time, distracted driving accidents appear to have gone down slightly. Overall fatal and injurious accidents have also been going down, so it’s possible that the passage of the law has made an impact.
At the same time, enforcement has been carried out in full force. Drivers have been receiving citations in droves, but it could be some time before officials are able to discern whether or not this type of crackdown is actually dissuading drivers from using their phones.
The Superintendent of Motor Vehicles for the area says that people must be patient while drivers adjust their behavior to reflect the stipulations of the new law. He points to how there was an adjustment period when laws requiring seatbelt usage were put into effect. Time will tell if drivers are able to drop their phones and focus on the roads.