Quebec set to ban handheld cellphones in cars

Quebec is set to ban the use of handheld cellphones in cars and trucks and will implementsteeper penalties for speeding, drinking and driving, the province's Transport Minister Julie Boulet said Thursday.

The measures are part of Quebec's efforts to rein in road and highway accidents,which killed 717 people in 2006, Boulet said.

The minister promised to introduce legislation in the fall to enact the measures, which include:

• New photo radar and cameras to monitor red light violations at certain intersections.
• Mandatory driving courses for new drivers.
• 90 day license suspension for first time drinking and driving offences (up from 30 days).
• Stiffer penalties for first time drinking and driving offences, up to 90 days (from 30).
• Fines and demerit points will double for speeding 40 km/h or higher than posted limits.

The measures follow a series of recommendation made by a provincial committee set up to examine road safety in the province.

The government's measures will follow six of 23 recommendations.

Committee members said they were pleased with the government's response,said Jean-Marie de Koninck, the founder of drive-home service Opration Nez Rouge, who also chaired the task force.

"In several cases, when we have a task force working on a particular subject, these reports end up on the shelf, and forgotten," he told CBC News.

"We couldn't hope for a better scenario to have the government receiving the report, and indicating their intention of acting right away."