So the big clampdown on talking and texting while behind the wheel is in full swing here in Toronto.

A friend of mine called last week, absolutely furious over the $150 ticket he got for talking on his cell while driving. Maybe he’s been hiding under a rock but for the life of me I can’t understand why he was so angry. It could be that he was feeling really stupid. After all, warnings have been on virtually every newscast of every southern Ontario station warning of the upcoming blitz.

I couldn’t agree more with the law. It’s a shame that so many motorists lack something called common sense. I have to admit; prior to this all-out push, I picked up my phone on a few occasions while behind the wheel. I will never be tempted again. I found a sure way to stop the madness. It’s called the ‘off’ button.

Today, I marveled at stupidity first-hand, and it wasn’t pretty. I was driving southbound on the DVP, minding my own business when the car directly in front of me jammed on his brakes. I hit mine, the guy behind me hit his and thankfully everyone managed to stop. I couldn’t understand what the problem was. It was a clear day, no animal had darted out into the car’s path and traffic directly in front was moving at a decent clip.

After we had all stopped, the lead car darted to the shoulder and put his car in park. Remember, this is on the DVP.

What happened next blew me away. As I slowly passed, I could see the driver’s hand waving back and forth. It’s hard to describe exactly what he was doing, almost like he was conducting the Toronto Symphony or maybe illustrating the delicate art of house painting, all the while (go figure) the other hand held a phone to his ear. You could tell he was oblivious to what had just happened.

We all know that it’s a tad harder to see into a tractor cab, especially from a cop car. That makes it that much easier to hit that answer button or make that call. Chances are remote that you’ll ever get caught but there’s a reason it’s against the law, so do everyone (including yourself) a favour and invest in the hands-free technology. Even better, discover the off button.

If there was a tractor-trailer in my rearview that day, I probably wouldn’t be writing this column. This is one law that will save lives.