As described in a recent Medicine Hat News article, distracted drivers in Alberta could now be fined under a new law introduced by the Alberta Government on April 21, 2010, if their driving is deemed to be suffering from distraction.

The fine, which is set at $172, applies to anyone who is talking on a handheld cellphone (a headset may be passable), texting, reading, writing, grooming, etc. The aim is to lower vehicle collision rates and force people to drive safer. Many people will jump at the chance to agree that talking and driving is not safe. But what about talking to passengers, especially with all the hand gestures usually involved in talking to someone face to face? I have even seen people driving wearing Alain Mikli Shutter Shades, and if there is one thing Kanye West has taught me, it is that you do not look cool wearing Shutter Shades, plus your vision is probably reduced by like 25%. Who needs to see more than 25% of the road anyway?

Previously the only fine the Police could doll out was a hefty $402 for “Driving without due care and attention” plus 6 demerit points to your driving record. With a law being passed to enforce driving without distractions, we can either expect the average driver to be safer, or for people to hide their phones between their legs while texting. Now all we have to worry about are those police officers who often use their laptops while driving. Wait a minute! Are laptops not an even bigger distraction than cellphones and texting? Not to mention the fact that those police radios are kind of like cellphones too. Maybe they should pull over or come to a complete stop while using them, or maybe police officers are infallible, and unlike the rest of us they can safely do two things at once.

Some information I have received this month from my various news-feeds concerning the cellphone industry:

Code of conduct: Cellphone companies must obtain the permission of a subscriber to change the terms of a contract, or allow the subscriber to get out of the contract at no additional cost. Source Link

Upstart wireless competition in next year: Four new cellphone companies will start up within a year, followed by Shaw making for competition for The Big Three – Bell, Rogers and Telus that have dominated the market and kept prices high. Source Link

Wireless Number Portability: The Big Three have been required by law (for years) to allow a subscriber to switch providers and transfer their wireless number to another provider. By not informing subscribers of their rights, The Big Three preyed on subscribers assumptions that they would lose their number known to family & friends. Source Link

Informed customers scare big business.