RCMP to put focus on Distracted Driving through month of March

Northwest RCMP detachments will be paying extra attention
towards distracted driving this month
(photo from RCMP website)

If you are still engaged with your phone while driving, the time is here to break yourself free of a dangerous habit and one that as statistcs show, results in more than 25% of all crash fatalities and makes for the second leading case of fatal collisions in British Columbia.

RCMP members across Northwestern British Columbia will be stepping up their enforcement when it comes to Distracted Driving this month, and should you find yourself pulled over at the side of the road with a patrol car behind you, there's a good chance that your distractions will be a costly affair

The fines for distracted driving (using electronic device = 4 points or driving without due care = 6 points) start at $368 and 4 penalty points for a minimum of $543 for the first offence, and the costs go up even more with each subsequent offence. In addition, your insurance costs may be affected.

Distracted driving is more than just using an electronic device but also includes other distractions such as personal grooming, eating/drinking, reading, pets, other passengers and not knowing your route.

As part of their information campaign to raise awareness of the issue, the RCMP notes that doing any of these things while driving may cause your trip to end in tragedy.

You can find more background on the province wide effort from this information statement.

In the Northwest, the West Pacific Region Traffic Services unit also has a few reminders for motorists, with Terrace Inspector Sydney Lecky putting things into a pretty clear focus for us.

"If you get pulled over and receive a ticket, there is no one to be mad at but yourself . 

No call, email, text, etc. is worth putting your life and the life of others at risk. You have to leave your phone alone."

You can explore more of the Northwest themes on road safety here.

For more items related to the work of Emergency Service Responders on the North Coast see our archive page here.



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