Saskatchewan's law enforcement has a problem. They want to stop distracted driving, especially when it comes to people using their phones behind the wheel. They're taking whatever steps they can to do it, increasing punishments for the crime and enforcement, but they're fighting a losing battle. The question is how they can turn the tide in their favor.
It's a difficult question because it's hard to tell what, exactly, could solve the problem. There are still people who refuse to wear seatbelts, and that's a law that has been on the books for decades. The problem with phones is the same as the problem with belts, even people who are aware of the issue believe it does not quite apply to them for whatever reason. Some will say that since everyone does it anyway it is not actually a big deal so they should not be punished for it. Even if it is a problem, other people are the ones who can't handle sending a text while driving. I have even heard people say that since police cars are generally filled with radios, laptops and other information tools they really do not have any business issuing cell phone violations, ignoring the purpose of this technology in the first place. It's at this point I have immense sympathy for the province's law enforcement, who are charged with preventing distracted driving in a population that wants to be distracted.
Seatbelts, at least, had an easy solution, provided by the various car manufacturers. Anyone who tries to drive without a belt in a car made in the last decade or so will trigger a chorus of beeps specifically designed to be annoying enough to get them to put the belt on. It's a solution that works, but there is no way to make an equivalent chorus of annoyance to get people to put the phone down. Worse still, it's apparent that manufacturers have no interest in curbing the use of technology anyway, with companies promoting how their cars now come wifi enabled. Technology sells, and since they can't render phones inoperative they embrace them.
The problem with sending out the message that distracted driving is dangerous is that people simply do not listen. The problem with increasing the punishment is that it's impossible to catch everyone, it's a spread out province and even with an infinite amount of officers you cannot be on all roads at all times. So how do you reach the hearts and minds of the different people? That's the issue faced by the province, as they struggle to bring down distracted driving and accident rates. Given that they have now resorted to seizing vehicles after multiple violations, it feels like a frustrated parent, finally locking away all the toys after the fifth tantrum of the day.
Everyone drives worse when sending a text, people might claim otherwise but they are mostly just lying to themselves. Unfortunately, it's difficult to prove this, you could set up a demonstration in any parking lot but you would need people to come, and people do not want to know that they're doing something dangerous. Perhaps we should try anyway. Give an insurance discount to people who take a course, show them how poorly they drive while sending out a message, hope they actually apply this knowledge to their regular life. It will not solve the problem, there will always be stubborn people, but it would at least be another weapon in a difficult war.
