Canadian Doctors: Let Us Drive While Talking On Mobile Phones!

from the it-saves-patients dept

Tue, Jan 15th 2008 1:58pm — Mike Masnick

Bans on using mobile phones while driving are pretty common these days, so there's not much to talk about in hearing about another such ban. However, up in Calgary, some folks are fighting back against such a ban. The Calgary Health Region has banned staff from driving while talking on a phone, but doctors are arguing against the ban, saying they rely on pagers and mobile phones to respond to emergencies -- and that banning the use of mobile devices while driving could put patients at risk. Of course, that leaves out the potential of putting other drivers on the road at risk -- but at least a doctor would be present following any such accident (for the sarcasm impaired, that's a joke). Still, given all the calls for banning driving-while-yakking for safety's sake, it's amusing to see doctors claim safety reasons for allowing the practice.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: calgary, canada, doctors, driving while yakking, mobile phones

24 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Jon, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:16pm

Yet it's still perfectly legal to eat a burger and fries while driving. They just need to make a cell phone that's disguised as a burger and fries.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:19pm
  
  Re:
  And then you would have to eat that cell phone?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Jezsik, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:18pm

If doctors, why not lawyers and brokers?
If docs get a special dispensation for talking on the phone while driving, lawyers and brokers could easily make the same argument. While doctors MIGHT being trying to save a life on the phone, it's also possible they're dealing with non-life-threatening - but equally serious - emergencies. A lawyer, stuck in traffic, might be racing to court to defend an innocent from prosecution (and a lifetime behind bars). A broker, in the same situation, might be trying to liquidate a pensioner's stock holding before the market bottoms out (and forcing them to move to a homeless shelter). Yeah, a bit far fetched, but the argument can still be made that these folks are indeed trying to save a "life."
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:21pm
  
  Re: If doctors, why not lawyers and brokers?
  "While doctors MIGHT being trying to save a life on the phone, it's also possible they're dealing with non-life-threatening - but equally serious" - Just out of curiosity, what non-life-threatening situation might be equally as serious as a life threatening situation?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:19pm

I see no problem with allowing docs to use the phone in an emergency, but then again, I see no problem with others using a cell phone in an emergency either.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:20pm

"but at least a doctor would be present following any such accident"

Very nice, original material? I am impressed, I think its good that you lighten up a bit.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
JDigital, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:20pm

No.
"but the argument can still be made that these folks are indeed trying to save a "life.""

Wrong. They can argue that they are trying to save a "lifestyle".

life != lifestyle
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
sandy, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:29pm

"While doctors MIGHT being trying to save a life on the phone, it's also possible they're dealing with non-life-threatening - but equally serious" - Just out of curiosity, what non-life-threatening situation might be equally as serious as a life threatening situation?

The doctor having to call his lawyer to get him out of a malpractice charge, or call his broker to see how much money he made!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
SkippyTMut, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:46pm

Uh...
I think everyone is forgetting that these no cell phone while driving laws have absolutely nothing to do with keeping people safe. These laws were enacted for one simple purpose...to make money. Cities and towns everywhere are cashing in on this very easy money maker. There are already exceptions in place for police officers and other officials. If these laws had anything to do with safety they would be enforced across the board.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 15 Jan 2008 @ 3:44pm
  
  Re: Uh...
  I do agree with you on this one, however the MythBusters had an episode on this compared to Drinking and Driving, being "Over the Limit" was accaully safer then talking on the Cell Phone... So why wouldn't they make this a law???
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 15 Jan 2008 @ 4:27pm
    
    Re: Re: Uh...
    Yes, I've seen that episode. However, by performing the test by having the drivers answer challenging questions while driving a high-difficulty obstacle course, they really only proved that you can't carry on a conversation which requires 100% concentration while also driving under conditions which also require 100% concentration. The results would have been far more compelling had they at least attempted to test the results of a normal, casual conversation in conjunction with typical, low-stress traffic conditions. Giving the drivers the option (which we all have in real life, whether talking on a phone or talking to a passenger) of saying, "hold on a sec - I need to merge into traffic" instead of rules against setting the phone down and demanding that all answers be immediate would have also provided a much better approximation of reality outside of their test environment.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - sickboy, 17 Jan 2008 @ 4:16am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Uh...
      Any call that is required to save a life is probably one which demmmands near enough 100% concentration on the call. Pulling over is the safest option for all concerned (inlcuding the patients).
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Danny, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:50pm

hands free
Doctors can use hands free calling devices just like everyone else. They don't need to touch their phones will driving.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Git, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:51pm

For Doctors, an attending physician can take his place if he's offsite. All distractions need to be removed. People are challenged to drive as it is, let alone, some major distraction like eating or yapping on the phone. I just love going home at night and driving ten mph because the idiot in front of me is (one) Asian, (two) on the phone, and (three) is female.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- robert, 13 Feb 2008 @ 1:20pm
  
  Re:
  git said: (one) Asian, (two) on the phone, and (three) is female.
  
  That's hitting the trifecta!
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Mike Diehn, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:53pm

Rather they pull over.
Seems that it wouldn't generally be too much trouble for them to pull over and stop. If they did, they could give their full attention to the conversation and root around in their notes, books, etc. for more information. If they did - they'd be safer and less stressed.

I stipulate that situations will arise in which they really need to be moving towards the patient in crisis while talking with someone at the scene.

Idea: Maybe they need a yellow roof light - if they're responding to a crisis, put on the light and carefully go, go, go - police could be authorized to escort them in those cases. The docs and EMTs, nurses, etc., could be authorized to carry on discussions while under escort.

Perhaps what's needed here is simply that the doctors would like the legislature to recognize that they (the docs) sometimes legitimately need to be talking while driving - maybe just noting that in the bill would clear the air.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Frank, 20 Jan 2008 @ 5:29am
  
  Re: Rather they pull over.
  Problem is, if you pull over to stop and answer the cell phone, you've just given the police probable cause.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Mike, 15 Jan 2008 @ 2:54pm

Uhm Pull Over
What's preventing the DR from pulling over while he's on the phone or getting himself a handsfree device. I understand someone's life could be at stake but what about all everyone on the same road(s) the Doctor is driving on.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Robert, 13 Feb 2008 @ 1:25pm
  
  Re: Uhm Pull Over
  Hands-free is meaningless. If you follow that logic, then yapping on the phone is no more dangerous that slurping on a pepsi.
  
  The problem is inattention to the task at hand, namely OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE. Not whether one is holding a phone. Too many people are already challenged enough by simply DRIVING AT ALL.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Nick, 15 Jan 2008 @ 3:19pm

If the call is that important
If the call is that important then the doctor should just take the call and say screw the law. I'm sure that if a doctor gets pulled over, and tells the Cop "I am a doctor, I was taking a call critical to the life of a patient" the Cop would excuse the ticket.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 15 Jan 2008 @ 4:22pm

headset or totally banned?
What I want to know is if they are outlawing the use of phones while driving ENTIRELY, or are they just outlawing talking on the handset (i.e. headsets & earbuds make it okay)...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Scott, 15 Jan 2008 @ 4:35pm

Yaki-d-yak
Humm
So whats the matter with pulling over on the side of the road??
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
MrScott, 15 Jan 2008 @ 7:24pm

Here's the way, they'll get away with talking on the cellphone while driving. Just do like I do:

I have a Bluetooth speakerphone car kit which plugs into the cigarette lighter. If I ever get caught, I'll just tell the officer I was singing to the tune on the radio.

Problem solved!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
SailorRipley, 28 Jan 2008 @ 8:15am

I think I've said this before:

Having only one hand to drive while holding a turned off cell phone in the other, I can drive perfectly more than 99% of the time (especially with an automatic, although I used to drive a stick), the fraction that prevents 100% being situations where one would need both hands to make a really sharp turn that could not be executed (fast enough) with only one hand.

The main cause of un-safety when it comes to cell phones is NOT the one hand aspect, but allotting a significant part of your concentration to the phone conversation, something you do equally when holding the phone as when using it hands free. So in short, yeah, the hands free thing is a ridiculous law that does very little for safety, but no doubt a lot for hands free set companies and local law enforcement. If their real goal was safety, they'd outlaw cell phone usage while driving period.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]