Ontario drivers may soon join their counterparts at the wheel in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Quebec with a ban on cellphone use while driving.
The Liberal government will table a bill to ban electronic distractions in the car caused by personal devices on Tuesday, confirmed Transport Minister Jim Bradley.
"The Premier asked me some time ago to look at legislation to deal with electronic equipment being used by people while driving," Bradley told reporters Monday.
The government consulted with police and the Insurance Bureau of Canada when drafting the proposal, Bradley said.
The minister also said the Premier asked him to study what at what has been done in other jurisdictions concerning cellphone use.
"I know there is considerable support in this province but I never like to presume what the Legislator will do," Bradley said.
Bradley would not confirm or deny reports his government is seeking to prohibit GPS devices and Bluetooth technologies in addition to mobile handsets.
North American car manufactures are building in hands-free technologies right into many new models in anticipation of more widespread cellphone bans.
When asked whether the ban would extend beyond cellphones, he simply said "stay tuned."
The law will likely only apply to those operating the vehicle and not passengers in the front or back seat.
Nine-in-10 Canadian drivers do not approve of using a cellphone behind the wheel, but more than half of them with a cellphone admit to using it while driving, according to a RBC Insurance/Ipsos Reid survey released just this week.
Previous attempts to introduce private member's bills banning cellphones in Ontario have failed.
Motorists in roughly 50 countries are banned from using cellphones, including Australia, China, France, Kenya, Slovenia and more.
With files from The Canadian Press
