Last year, there were only 11 convictions in Alberta for driving using GPS in Alberta. But the Alberta Motor Association (AMA) says it`s likely that some of the 18,659 people convicted of using a handheld device to drive were using a navigation app. A California court has ruled that using your smartphone to get directions is just as illegal as texting while driving. Could some of these problems be solved by better driver training? Do we need operating system-level standards in our mobile computing devices that determine how we use them in moving vehicles (especially while driving)? The driver claimed to use the phone for mapping purposes, arguing that the state`s distracted driving laws should not have applied (he says he looked at a map on the phone while holding it in his hand). While acknowledging that the underlying restrictions on distracted driving imposed by the state itself may be too broad, the court ultimately disagreed with the driver, noting that the law clearly prohibits the use of a mobile phone while driving – unless the device is used hands-free. Fortunately, Google Maps has a voice activation feature. In the app`s settings, tap „Browsing Settings,“ then tap „OK Google Detection,“ then turn on the „While driving“ switch. Then, run commands in the app saying „OK Google“ and navigate wherever you want. These rules are contained in section 115 of the Alberta Use of Highways and Highway Code, which sets out Alberta`s rules for distracted driving. „Ideally, you should plan your route before you go, and not take calls or do voice text while you`re on the go,“ he says. „There`s a lot of research that talks about how hands-free use is still a very important form of distraction – so just focus on driving.“ So much for maps, applications – you name it.
Just holding the phone in your hands is a California nonsense in every way. Alberta is the only province to physically ban the programming of GPS embedded in the steering wheel. Google tracks your location for „convenience.“ Go to myaccount.google.com, sign in to your Google Account, and turn off location history in the Data & Personalization section to stop collecting your location data. You can also set your location to automatically delete and view and delete your history. For years, both here in the US and two other people living in the UK, I used the thing to go everywhere. And I suspect, like most people, that I often played by driving by adding new routes or destinations, searching for subscreens for additional information, or simply tapping to disable it completely. „In Ontario, you can use your built-in GPS in your car as you please, but if you use Waze and it`s on your phone, you could be charged,“ says Sergeant Kerry Schmidt of the Ontario Provincial Police`s Traffic Safety Division. „You can use your phone to display maps when it`s mounted, but you can only touch it to answer or end a call.“ Drivers will be fined $30 for using a cell phone while driving for the first offense and fined $60 for the second offense, according to the Los Angeles Times. It`s weird there and getting weirder and weirder: a California court just ruled that tinkering with your phone`s Maps app while driving should be as illegal as texting or using the device without a hands-free solution. Is it illegal to program my GPS while driving? My mom has a GPS built into her SUV.
She needs directions to get everywhere, but she always waits until she drives to type the address. The voice commands on her GPS don`t work very well, so she ends up doing it on the touchscreen. I told her it`s illegal, but she says it`s only true if you use a phone. Who is right? – Connor, Calgary I`ll get to that in a moment, but let`s talk briefly about the things we do while driving. A few years ago, I bought my first car-based GPS, an entry-level Garmin that you plugged into one of those windshield mounts that attach with a plastic cup, and a lever that you tighten to really boost the suction power. A California court has ruled that using map apps while driving is illegal under the law that prohibits the use of cordless cell phones while driving a vehicle, according to Digital Trends. „You have to schedule it before you start driving,“ says Acting Sergeant Chris Agren of the Calgary Police Traffic Unit. „You can also use voice recognition to enter directions, but you can`t physically manipulate your GPS when you`re on the go.“ The problem with using a map app on a smartphone is that drivers tend to program the app while driving and hold it in their hands or on their lap, Atchley says. Using maps on a smartphone can be a „death prescription“ for a California driver driving 75 MPH on Route 405, he says. „It`s not very often you see people with a Garmin unit in their vehicle, but a lot of them use different apps on mobile phones while driving,“ says Jeff Kasbrick, vice president of government and stakeholder relations at AMA. It still requires a lot of mental focus, and that`s why we are inattentive to the road. Using Google Maps to get around in your car may not be a viable option for Californians, or at least not a legal option.
While you usually use Waze as your driving app of choice due to real-time user input, Google Maps now has this feature (though law enforcement isn`t thrilled with drivers being notified of upcoming speed traps). While driving, you will receive voice notifications about construction sites, lane closures, disabled vehicles and objects on the road. This information can be very useful if you find that your driving is slowed down due to highway construction work. Even if you`ve ridden a route a thousand times, activating the app can help you reach your destination with minimal effort. You also cannot hold or touch your mobile phone or any other electronic device while driving. How about holding the phone in one hand just to look at your smartphone card (let`s say you don`t have a phone mount device), as this person claimed? Should it be illegal to look at your phone while driving? Do cars have to be supplied with smartphone mounting kits? Where should they be installed? Only above the hyphen? Much of the conversation about distracted driving focuses on texting, but other distractions are just as dangerous, Kasbrick says. A California judge has ruled that it`s illegal to use apps like Google Maps while driving As law enforcement finds new ways to catch you writing and driving, it`s more important than ever to keep both hands on the wheel. But what if you have to navigate with your smartphone? Browsing Google Maps while driving is just as much a distraction and security risk as texting. Steven Spriggs filed a lawsuit against the state of California, challenging a citation for violating California Vehicle Code 23123 during a traffic stop in January 2012. Section 23123 deals with voice calls and text message input while driving, but not directly with the use of cards.
So I`m a little concerned to see (via Techdirt) that a California judge just ruled that using a cell phone to play with a GPS map/program counts as distracted driving (making it illegal under state law).