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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, April 12, 2013 | 6 Editorial Eyes on the road, hands on wheel Eyes on the road. It's Driving 101 -- or is it? Halton Regional Police don't have enough to do without staking out those who speed, drive drunk or otherwise impaired and now chat on the phone, text and use their laptops. What? How can anyone work on a computer and drive? As you sit behind the wheel, traf c movements, road conditions, signal lights, pedestrians, other drivers, darting children, darting wildlife... take your pick as to what may crop up with a second's notice. Sometimes less. Hats off to the police and Halton Region for taking the pledge this week (see story on page 5) against distracted driving, which is part of the Region's and police service's Drive SAFE (Safety Awareness for Everyone) program. Police will be out on the roads the week of April 15 enforcing the new pledge. Is it really necessary? Are drivers engaging in this sort of lunacy? Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr calls it a new epidemic. Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner said, "Not wearing seatbelts takes lives, distracted driving takes lives and impaired driving takes lives and we need to do everything we can from the enforcement and education perspective to step up and help protect our citizens." Ontario driving laws prohibit drivers from talking, texting, typing, dialing or e-mailing using cellphones or other hand-held communication or entertainment devices. Drivers are also prohibited from viewing laptops, DVD players or display screens that are unrelated to driving. According to Carr, a recent study shows 75 per cent of teens regularly text while driving -- and that 77 per cent of teens have said they have seen their parents text and drive. According to a study by the University of Utah, using a cellphone while driving, whether it's handheld or hands-free, delays a driver's reactions as much as having blood-alcohol concentrations at the legal limit of .08 per cent. Last year, police in Halton issued 3,600 distracted driving tickets. It carries a $155 ne in Ontario. If drivers are responsible enough to afford a vehicle, get a licence, and maintain a vehicle, there is no excuse for them not to realize the damage -- from property to tragic loss of life -- that comes from any driving address that does not see eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. Perhaps they would understand a heftier ne, or loss of driving privileges. That may be the way to curb this inexcusable behaviour. "Connected to your Community" 467 Speers Road, Oakville ON, L6K 3S4 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Editorial Department: (905) 632-0588 Fax: (905) 337-5566 Classi ed Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 51 | Number 44 The Oakville Beaver is a division of Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Vice ­President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Regional General Manager Halton Region Editor in Chief Advertising Director NEIL OLIVER DAVID HARVEY JILL DAVIS DANIEL BAIRD Managing Editor ANGELA BLACKBURN RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Business Manager Director of Production SANDY PARE MARK DILLS Federal budget stays course for jobs Terence Young Oakville MP My View MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager Director of Distribution CHARLENE HALL KIM MOSSMAN Circulation Manager S o what's new in Economic Action Plan 2013? Canada has one of the best economic performances among G7 countries. With more than 900,000 net new jobs created since the global economic recession, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) say that, in years ahead, our growth will remain among the strongest in the G7. Despite the positive reviews, the world economy remains fragile. That is why our government is staying the course with our plan for jobs and growth. Economic Action Plan 2013 is a comprehensive strategy that will continue to strengthen Canada's economy, create jobs for Canadians who need them, and help the businesses that make our country prosperous. All of these measures are designed to help Canadian families and improve the quality of life. Here are six areas the budget concentrates on in order to achieve these goals: · We are connecting Canadians with available jobs by creating the Canada Job Grant, which could provide $15,000 or more per person, including a maximum federal contribution of $5,000 matched by provincial/territorial and employer funding, to help Canadians get the skills they need for in-demand jobs. Once fully implemented, this will help nearly 130,000 Canadians each year access training at eligible institutions, such as community colleges. · Implementing the new Building Canada plan, which includes more than $53 billion in new and existing funding for provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure. Combined with other federal infrastructure investments, the new Building Canada plan will result in the largest and longest federal investment in jobcreating infrastructure in Canadian history. · Investing in world-class research and innovation creating jobs and prosperity by: a. Providing increased funding for advanced research at colleges through the federal research granting councils. b. Supporting business innovation by helping them to invest, making them more competitive and creating more high-paying jobs in Canada. see Common on p.7 Proud Official Media Sponsor For: Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Proud Official Media Sponsor For: ATHENA Award The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to: ablackburn@oakvillebeaver. com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. 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