Amateur Radio & Distracted Driving - The Facts for British Columbia

electronic-devices-while-driving.pdf
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I have heard a lot of comments from Amateurs over the last few months about distracted driving and the conversations, held and stated as fact in many cases, concerned me deeply as I drive around with a microphone on my lap daily.  So after a quick review of the BC driving regulations and the sourcing of a current, PDF handout from the Province, here is the Spring 2019 lay of the land for Radio Amateurs:

Posted above is the PDF file from the Province of British Columbia with the exceptions, and ladies and gentlemen we as Radio Amateurs, CBers, Truckers, etc are excepted with these small technicalities:

• Microphone has to be permanently attached to the radio which must be securely mounted.
• Must operate in 1/2 Duplex mode only which is what we do while operating through repeaters.
• Must not operate keypads or buttons on the microphone other then the push to talk while driving.

I have heard a lot of Hams suggest we are not even allowed to have DTMF microphones,  this is completely untrue, the PDF document even has a picture of a radio with a DTMF microphone so let's please put that one to rest boys and girls.  I suggest that everyone print out this PDF and keep it in your glove compartment in case a zealous, yet ignorant of the exemption, officer pulls you over.