Distracted Driving Law Saving Lives Says Province
Prince George, B.C.- It has been nearly two years since the distracted driving law came into effect in B.C, and the new law is being credited with saving 16 lives and creating a 12% reduction in the number of serious injuries in vehicle crashes.
From Feb. 1, 2010 when the new laws came into effect and to July 31, 2011, fatalities related to distracted driving dropped by 12 per cent. Serious injuries related to distracted driving went down 12 per cent when compared to deaths and serious injuries between Feb. 1, 2008 and July 31, 2009.
“While the statistics show that we have seen a reduction in fatalities and serious injuries, far too many people are not getting the message” says Shirley Bond, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “If you choose to text or talk on your cellphone when you are driving, you are putting your life and the lives of others at risk. Could any phone call or text message be worth that risk?”
Between Feb. 1, 2010 and Sept. 30, 2011, police issued 46,008 tickets to drivers for using a hand-held electronic device while driving. During the same time period, another 1,372 tickets were issued to drivers for emailing or texting while driving. Police have issued over 34 per cent more tickets for distracted driving in 2011 than in the previous year.
Using a hand-held cellphone is the number-one cause of distracted driving – a choice that comes with consequences. Evidence shows that talking on a cellphone while driving reduces a driver’s field of vision by 50 per cent and quadruples the risk of causing a motor vehicle crash.
Comments
There’s more people texting and driving now than ever. Give me a break.
I just went to pick up my drunk car and on the way back a driver cruised on through a stop sign with his cell attached to his ear…guess the fine is or the consequences aren’t harsh enough yet.
By the way my car was sober when I picked it up at the bar…
Shirley, since you’re the top cop in the Province right now, I suggest you direct those below you to quadruple their efforts in ticketing these foolish drivers. If Prince George is any indication of the rest of the province, there are tons of people still not getting the message. Either double the fine or tell police to get a move on and start nailing these fools. I for one would like to see the stats on charges laid in each community monthly to see where all these charges are being laid.
The “Province” tells all kind of lies.
I have seen so many drivers using their cell phones while driving and cruise right past a cop without being stopped. Kudos Vulgar for and thanks for making our roads a little safer by parking your car .
After spending a couple of months in Kelowna I know that P.G. is not half as bad as the drivers there when it comes to using handheld cellphones while driving!
Coincidentally an easy 4 out of 5 were female drivers…many of them trying to hide the cellphone by holding it with the right hand against the right ear, perhaps believing that it would make it less obvious.
It’s an epidemic.
The police there is usually busy too while driving because the cops don’t pull the drivers over when they (the cops) are either ahead of me or not too far behind to be able to see the same thing I am observing.
They don’t nail them.
Distractions are not just cell phones, look at all the gee whiz stuff on the dash now. Drove a rental ford explorer the other day and all the touch screen controls would make your head pop. GPS, heater controls, front back seats and your head is down trying to operate all this stuff. The audio system controls that is a whole story in itself.
I see a lot of people with both hands on the wheel, talking to themselves.
The neat thing is that unlike talking to a passenger, they keep the eyes on the road rather than looking sideways to the passenger or in the rearview mirror to backseat passengers.
Many new cars come equipped with blue teeth ….. ;-)
Cell phones and the ladie in the silver nissan on central today putting on eyeliner… Man I thought I had seen everything lol
You guys are hilarious. Oh, Gus, I think it is blue tooth.
Seamutt, I’ve got a vehicle that has Blue Tooth, Back Up camera, Sirius Radio, two drop down DVD players and GPS to boot. Between looking for the butt warmer button, the steering wheel warmer, the button that transfers heat to the rear of my vehicle and the fan switch to turn down so I can hear my Bose Stereo, I feel the safest thing to do is pull the vehicle over and get everything set up before I leave the driveway.
Oh, did I forget to mention to turn off the damn cell phone?
I haven’t figured out to use the ear buds yet so I can do lots of this stuff hands free like the guys who appear to be talking to themselves.
I have news for you Shirley: When you get in your car and pull out of the driveway, you are putting yourself and others at risk. All the money grabbing laws in the world will not stop deaths by accident so stop all ready with the phoney percentage numbers.
Hey Chester … if a car has more than 1 gizmo that has a blue tooth, would it not have blue teeth? … *grins*
Its like any statistic they government puts out. You cant trust them. They spin the numbers in their favor everytime. Its actually quite pathetic.
I know a fair amount of people who refuse to stop texting/talking on phone while driving.
All they do now is hide their phones when texting so you cant see them, it actually makes it worse as now they worry about being caught so they are more distracted. I along with many others have been held up at traffic lights, waited at stop signs, almost been cut off etc from texters.
The penalty should be an Impaired driving charge the same one you get for driving drunk. Soon MADD will also stand for Mothers Against Digital Driving.
If someone is seriously hurt or killed throw the offender in jail.
Brownshoe, drive down Ospika in the morning to see drivers brushing their teeth.
I’m not talking blue teeth neither.
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