As of Monday, getting caught on your cellphone while driving will result in a $136 fine and three demerit points on your licence, bringing it in line with the penalty for texting, emailing or other such activity on an electronic device that takes your eyes off the road.
Rack up more than three points and it's going to cost you even more or put you at risk of losing your licence.
We applaud the province for this. It is beyond irritating to catch another driver callously yammering away with only a fraction of his or her attention on the road.
And the province his signalled that fines for both offences may soon be ratcheted up, which we also cautiously approve of.
The notion of an all-in-one communications device demanding our attention throughout the day is relatively new in our culture and clearly we've got some growing up to do.
Distracted driving is the second leading cause of death on our roads, according to the province.
The fines and demerit points, if coupled with a persistent public education campaign, will help change our culture.
But it takes time. Though impaired driving frustratingly still exists, the number of deaths due to drunk drivers has been on a downward trend for decades.
And if you really can't wait to text your BFF or read that informative North Shore News tweet, take transit or join a carpool. You'll be reducing traffic, saving money and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, making us all that much better off.
