SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Two Yellowknife MLAs are pushing cabinet to look at banning cellphone use while driving, but the transportation minister said it's only a Yellowknife problem and isn't willing to look at new legislation.

The GNWT won't entertain legislation on banning the use of cellphones while driving because some MLAs claim it's not a territory-wide problem. MLAs Robert Hawkins and Wendy Bisaro, Yellowknife Centre and Frame Lake, respectively, are pushing for a ban. - Andrew Livingstone/NNSL photo

Michael McLeod, minister of Transportation, said Tuesday there is no cause for concern and a cellphone ban is something they aren't considering. He said information and educational campaigns, specifically Drive Alive, are enough to deal with the issue.

"Cell phones do not work on our highway system, they don't work in 22 of our communities, it's not a huge issue for us," McLeod said. "Currently it's an issue in Yellowknife."

Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins said it's time for the government to examine the issue of cellphone use while driving and explore an outright ban.

"The issue that needs to be looked at is the fact that cell phones are considered too much of a distraction while driving, leading to unnecessary accidents causing injury and death, and most certainly fully preventable accidents," Hawkins said during Tuesday's session.

Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro also questioned McLeod about the issue, citing numerous studies showing the effect cellphone use has on a driver's ability to operate a vehicle, pointing to a study done for the Ontario Medical Association in 2008 which determines hands-free and hand-held cell phones both pose a distraction risk.

"Regardless of which one you use, it reduces the speed at which the driver processes information," Bisaro said. "Simulation tests and studies show that drivers using cell phones are 18 per cent slower to brake and take 17 per cent longer to recover their speed after slowing down.

"A ban on using cell phones while driving must be part of any campaign to reduce distracted driving. In conjunction with education and public pressure, legislation can be an effective tool to make people change their habits," said Bisaro.

"Creating legislation for legislation's sake is not something that I plan to do," McLeod countered.

"It's expensive, it takes resources and of course that all adds up to a lot of dollars out of the department." He added there are other ways to address the issue. "I think we can't ignore the fact that there is a mechanism in place within the municipalities to create the exact legislation within the municipality to govern the use of cell phones and other forms of distraction. That's something I guess we can follow up on and explore."

In 2008, 740 vehicle accidents occurred in the NWT, according an the annual report on traffic collisions. Of those, 173 were injured and five were killed. Ninety-two of these accidents were caused by inattentive or distracted drivers, almost 11 per cent of the total accidents. Seventeen people were injured by distracted drivers.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said Yellowknife isn't the only community with cellphone service in the NWT and it's a continued frustration hearing something can't be done because it's a "Yellowknife" problem.

"We've proven time and time again for every three dollars that gets spent in Yellowknife, nine dollars gets spent hearing in the other communities," Van Tighem said.

"We are the only community that has the critical mass to be somewhat self-sufficient. Where there are things they should be participating in and they don't, we can do it ourself, then we say, 'told you so.'"

The mayor said there has been discussion in creating a bylaw banning cellphones while driving, but no serious discussion has been had. He said it will be something he and the new city council will likely talk about in the near future.