Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. Law enforcement throughout British Columbia are gearing up for a campaign against distracted drivers this September, and the fines won’t be cheap.
- Slow Left Lane Drivers To Be Fined $167 and 3 Penalty Points
- BC RCMP Dress As Panhandlers To Crack And Ticket Drivers
During the campaign announcement, Vancouver Police Const. Brian Montague stated “No text and no email is more important than the lives of yourself, the lives of your family and the lives of others on the road,”
In B.C. alone, distracted driving leads to approximately 88 deaths per year. An even scarier fact is that nearly one-quarter of all deaths on British Columbia roads involve distracted driving – this ranges from drivers on their cell phones, using GPS systems, to taking their eyes off the road for a bite to eat.
With that in mind, the new campaign will go above and beyond distracted drivers on their cell phones, and also target drivers taking their eyes off the road to eat food or take a sip of their coffee.
“If it obstructs with the driver’s ability to drive his or her vehicle, then we can issue tickets for that,” said VPD Constable Brian Montague. “We’d have to look at driver’s view was obstructed or passenger obstructing someone’s view or driving without due care and attention… those types of offenses.”
Police will also be looking out for drivers who pay too much attention to their passengers, including pets.
The current fine for using an electronic device while driving in B.C. is $167 and three demerit points. Officers can also hand out $368 tickets for driving without due care and attention, as well as a $109 ticket for having the ability to drive obstructed.
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