Ontario Extends CB Exemption from Hands-Free Law

CB radios have been exempted from Ontario’s hands-free distracted driving law for another five years, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation Bob Chiarelli said.

The exemption applies to commercial drivers using hand held CBs and is effective until Jan. 1, 2018.

The original exemption was introduced in 2009 to allow time for a hands-free alternative to two-way radios to be created.

In a letter to the Ontario Trucking Association, Chiarelli said he believes the extension will allow the trucking industry time to develop new forms of alternative hands-free technology.

The trucking group said it was pleased with the extension, said OTA President David Bradley.

“CB radios continue to play a key role in the day-to-day lives of truck drivers in that they serve as a vital communications tool for drivers from both a safety and operations perspective,” he said in a statement.