Dalton McGuinty should re-think Cellphone Charges
Dalton McGuinty might well consider the following story and the growing number of stories of drivers killing pedestrians, cyclists and each other while talking and texting while driving. The Ontario government’s long awaited law banning such behaviour will hit the streets, complete with charges, February 1st.
Mr. McGuinty had the chance to deal with this problem in a responsible way, in the same way that many jurisdictions have, with heavy fines and jail time. Unfortunately Dalton decided that it was better to try and get re-elected then do the right thing.
In Ontario the maximum fine for talking or texting on your cell phone is $500.00. One wonders how many of the recent pedestrian deaths in the Toronto area could have been averted if the cell phone charges had been more heavily enforced with a harder hitting fine? Your tough enough to save us from pit bulls, but not enough to save us from negligent drivers. More people are killed by drivers then pit bulls.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Hi, I’m Carrie Patterson, Gordon Patterson’s wife,” she said softly. “We were married 23 years. But a distraction on a text message caused us his death.”
So ends the sad tale of a distracted driver, a teacher’s death and the ongoing lesson’s of why texting and driving is as bad as drinking and driving. In Washington’s states first vehicular homicide conviction due to text-messaging, Antonio Cellestine, 18 was sentenced to five years for hit and run on a cyclist while he was texting. Phone records indicate Cellestine was texting his girlfriend at the time his car hit and killed the Hudson’s Bay High School teacher.
“I’ve heard the term ‘accident’ used quite a bit today,” Bennett said after Cellestine pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and felony hit-and-run. “But this was no accident.”
Gordon Patterson, 50, was hit at 4 p.m. Sept. 15 in a bike lane near the top of the hill on Northeast St. Johns Road in Vancouver City, Washington. He was riding his bicycle home from school where he taught, when Cellestine’s car trailed into the bike lane and struck him from behind. Cellestine then sped away.
Based on witness statements and evidence gathered at the scene, officers arrested Cellestine the next day on suspicion of hit-and-run. They seized his cell phone and subpoenaed records from his cell phone company.
The records showed Cellestine had received and sent numerous text messages in the time leading up to and during the crash, said Deputy Prosecutor Jim David.
That constituted a disregard for the safety of others, David said, so prosecutors filed the vehicular homicide charge earlier this month.
“By focusing on the texting as opposed to driving, he wasn’t paying attention because he was watching his cell phone,” he said.
Cellestine first made up a story to police about smoking a cigar while driving and brought it up again in court Friday. But police say they found no evidence he was smoking.
This is the first of several cases dealing with homicide charges, texting and driving. A Bellingham teenager was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide for allegedly driving and texting when he hit and killed a pedestrian on New Year’s Day. He also was accused of drinking. That case has yet to be resolved.
“I never understood loss until I lost my dad — my best friend,” she said, her voice breaking. “I will always miss my dad …”
The biggest loss, Carrie Patterson said, was losing the future.
“He impacted thousands with his life,” she said. “And we can only imagine how many more it would have been if he was still here.”
Cyclist Memorial Held in Mississauga
Six cyclists from the organization ARC, Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists set out early this morning to lay flowers for a dead cyclist. The cyclist was killed last week. Little is known about the tragic event. What is known is that it was around 6:30 at night. The cyclist was coming home during a busy rush hour when he was hit from behind and then hit again by another car. He died that night. Both drivers involved in the accident remained at the scene. The cyclists name is unknown as is his name as the newspaper and the police have not released this information.
News reports commented on how the cyclist seemed to have swerved out into the path of the first car that hit him. As always the only witnesses to the accident seemed to be the drivers involved.
Regardless of what happened, a bike had to be painted white and delivered to the scene of the cyclists death. The white bike, known as ghost bikes, are a symbol that according to the website, ghostbikes.org originated in 2003 in St Louis, Missouri. Since their first appearance they have appeared in over 100 cities. Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street
Junker bikes are painted white and delivered to the site of the death scene, flowers are laid and a minute of silence is given to the memory. ARC has been doing cycling memorials since the mid nineties and have began putting ghost bikes in the Toronto area around 2005.
The ride began at Bike Pirates on Bloor at 8am. The group headed west and took Bloor street all the way to Mississauga. On the way the group tried to take one lane for safety sake.
Remarkably there were only two interactions with angry drivers. The first was at Royal York and Bloor where a driver took umbrage with the cyclists taking the lane. He seemed not to notice that there were several other lanes he could have driven in and that the light was red. The second was in Mississauga proper where a van driver roared past the cyclists trying to get ahead of the pack.
The ride to the site took around abouts an hour and a half. The site was a suburban waste land with a mix of single occupancy homes, strip malls and high rises. The road was straight and wide with unused sidewalks.
The ARCista's took the bike from the cargo bike that had brought it to that place and locked it around a utility pole. There were already flowers at the site which was why the cyclist found where the site was.
The chain used to secure the bike was to short so two of the cyclists donated their locks to make sure the ghost bike was not easily removed by the city or neighbours. Flowers were laid and a minute of silence was given.
The ride back was punctuated by the strains of a cyclist singing, They never walk in Mississauga, sang to the tune of It Never Rains In California. As always, or so it would seem, the ride back was faster then the ride there.
The cyclists ended their trip at a local Breakfast place called Yasi's in the west end and ate a well deserved meal. It was a beautiful day for a ride, but a horrible reason to go.
Many thanks to Ainsley, Martin, Geoff, Vic, Scunney and Derek for making the long trip out.
The National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims in Canada
is a day set aside to remember those killed or seriously injured on Canadian roads, often in avoidable collisions, and those left to deal with the sudden and unexpected loss of people they love.
This year's theme is "Raising awareness of the number of deaths on Canadian roads."
The good news is that we can save lives. In 2008, one life was saved every day because Canada is:
- Increasing enforcement
- Introducing new policies
- Building safer vehicles
- Changing road user behaviours
- Improving our roads
But, even though the number of deaths on our roads is going down, there is still a great deal of work to do.
November 18 is your opportunity to remember the victims, and to express your support.
Bryant trial postponed……again
A criminal court case involving former Ontario attorney general Michael Bryan has been put off until Dec 7.
The former political star did not appear in the Toronto court dealing with his case today but was represented by his lawyer.
Bryant faces charges of criminal negligence causing death and dangerous driving causing death in a collision involving a cyclist in August.
Police say bike courier Darcy Allan Sheppard died after grabbing onto a car in Toronto following an altercation with the driver. Actually that's a lie, Sheppard died after he was ran into a mailbox by an enraged Bryant, who then left the scene of the crime.
Since Mr. Bryant once appointed judges and oversaw Crown prosecutors, Vancouver lawyer Richard Peck has been brought in to prosecute the case.
An out-of-province judge is expected to preside over the trial once it begins.
Unfortunately the media is continuing to be totally biased. As well the comment section on the Globe and Mail story has been turned off. They say its because of legal reasons, but in truth its because Bryant's wife works for CTV, the globe's parent company and anytime the story comes up the comment section is filled with people trying to tell the truth, unlike the local media.
Cyclist dies in Cambridge
October 29, 2009
By Cherri Greeno, Record staff
CAMBRIDGE - A 20-year-old Cambridge cyclist is dead after he was struck by a vehicle just before midnight Wednesday on a dangerous stretch of road near Highway 401.
Shane Vandermeer died after he was hit by a vehicle getting off the Eastbound 401 ramp to Franklin Boulevard.
Vandermeer was biking south on Franklin Boulevard when he was hit by the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Initially, the OPP were asking for the public's help in identifying the cyclist. However, they were able to track down his family early Thursday morning after receiving tips from the public.
The driver of the vehicle was at the scene when police arrived. No charges have been laid.
That stretch of road has been the subject of a feasibility study being conducted by city officials. The study will help figure out where to build a pedestrian bridge over Highway 401.
"It's a very dangerous area," Mayor Doug Craig said this morning. "The whole thing is very dangerous for pedestrians and for cyclists."
The road has worried local politicians for years because people are forced to walk over the narrow Franklin Boulevard bridge to cross Highway 401.
The bridge is the only practical way to get from Hespeler to north Galt for cyclists and pedestrians.
But the west side has only a narrow sidewalk and pedestrians must cross traffic exiting from the 401 to Franklin. On the east side, there's a ramp for traffic to enter the freeway but no sidewalk at all.
In April 2007, Lyle Prior, 83, was killed at the exit ramp, which prompted the city to post "No Pedestrians" signs.
Craig said he has talked to the Ministry of Transportation - even once bringing the minister out to the area - but as of yet, the province is showing no interest in widening it.
"We can't touch the bridge because it's a provincial bridge," Craig said. "We can't get the province to do anything. We've done everything we can as a city."
Craig wasn't sure when the study would be completed. It is being funded by the city and Waterloo Region.
Tweet Tweet
- No public Twitter messages.
Puff the Magic Dragon
Where did I put those socks
- Jane’s dad
- Bike Bike Volunteer Call Out
- MECfest
- Oh yes, this post needs a title!!
- Bicycle parts not considered weapons or at least not brass knuckles
Deese R’ da Daze dat we Rote
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Jul | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |||
TCAT
IbikeTO
- Comedy Daryn Jones For Mayor
- BIXI Toronto reaches 500 members almost a year before it launches
- Mayoral Candidate HiMY SYeD to share 'Vision 2020 - BikeCity' at Bike Joint Sept 1