Stern Warning To Distracted Drivers
Prince George, BC – It may be the month of love, but BC RCMP Traffic Services plans to spare no emoticons as officers crack down on drivers caught using a handheld device this month…
With preliminary statistics now available for 2012, Corporal Rob McDonald says 30-percent of motor vehicle fatalities and 37-percent of mva serious injuries in the province last year involved distracted driving.
"In the month of February, police across BC will be targeting drivers who operate vehicles while using a handheld device." McDonald emphasizes – holding a cell phone in your hand while its on speaker phone is an offence under the Motor Vehicle Act that could result in a $167 fine. "This also applies to leaving the cell phone on your console and typing while stopped in traffic."
He says a true hands-free device is one that is mounted to your vehicle, or secured on your body. The corporal adds ‘L’ and ‘N’ drivers are not permitted the use of any electronic devices, including those that are hands-free.
Corporal McDonald points out that drivers observed to be contravening other rules of the road while using a handheld device – ie. speeding, unsafe lane changes, and following too close – can be charged with Driving without Due Care and Attention and subject to a $368 penalty.
Comments
Good. I cross town on a regular bases and at every intersection I can see people on the cell phone or texing. One women last week went all the way down central texing on her cell with a little kid in the back seat Real smart.
The police need to also focus outside the larger cmmunities as it seems once you get out into the rural communities that’s where you see a lot of drivers on the phone. I also can’t help but notice the number of eighten wheelers going by with the drivers talking away on the phone.
BCRacer – we don’t need stiffer fines and yet more laws. Just enforce the ones we have.
The government must be low on revenue this month, so they send out the ticket-writers with guns to generate some more income. Always, in the name of “safety” mind you.
rockymtnhigh – I agree with comment about truckers on phones, but here’s one I can’t understand.
What genetic ability are the police born with that no one else has that lets them have a laptop computer going, AND talk on their cells while driving.
If the general public can’t do it safely, then they can’t either.
Yes they need to crack down thats for sure, but do you know how many cops a pull upbeside at a traffic light and they are reading or typing on there lap top.They need to pay attenion too.
Yes they need to crack down thats for sure, but do you know how many cops a pull upbeside at a traffic light and they are reading or typing on there lap top.They need to pay attenion too.
For.$167.00 you can buy a pretty nice “totally” hands free system for your car. I have one and it works great.
What is the difference between a hand held device and all the gizmos in the dash, navigation systems and all that.
On the upside, the city gets a cut of that loot collected. Enough fines and the city would have no reason to raise taxes. Right?
seamutt on February 5 2013 9:05 AM
What is the difference between a hand held device and all the gizmos in the dash, navigation systems and all that.
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They’re not in your hand? Seriously, it’s difficult to prove that you were distracted by your radio but not so difficult to see you on the phone.
Remember the “old days”? When the judge said, “Thirty dollars or thirty days”? Too expensive to put people in jail now so we’ll just fine them. No cellphones in jail. Bummer.
Curious .. the police impound the vehicles of drunk drivers and confiscate open liquor in the car .. why don’t they just confiscate the cell phone, Ipod or whaterever .. with these types of stats, the dangers of using hand held devices is approching that of DUIs
maybe we need a MAHHDD group (Mothers Against Hand Held Devices (while) Driving)
After a couple of warnings/fines, drivers who continue to speed, use cell phones while driving, drive recklessly etc should be required to take their driver’s licence again. They would have to follow the graduated licensing program now in place regardless of their age. This would bring in a ton of $$ and would also act as a major deterrent. Who would want to go through that whole graduated driver thing again? Was there anyone who enjoyed the stress of their driver’s test?
OT but just picked this off CBC
ICBC sues highway maintenance company over potholes
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/02/05/bc-icbc-potholes-coquihalla.html?cmp=rss
Wonder if they could sue the city.
Seamutt.
The Provincial Goverment did an indepth study on distracted driving. (you can find it on their website)
The result of the study showed conclusively
that there is no difference in distracted driving when using a hand held device, or a device that is hands free.
The distraction comes from the conversations taking place not the device.
However for some reason (I suspect axman is right) they only made hand held devices illegal. They are either kowtowing to the telephone industry, or just want to make sure that they get an easy conviction, and therefore increased revenue at reduced costs.
If distracted drivers are accountable for 30% of the increase in accidents, then is there a corresponding decrease prior to these phones being available, or is this another case of using statistics to fit the case.
As mentioned in the article, there are a number of laws on the books that can be used to curb accidents by motorists.
Distraction can be caused by:
1. Putting on lipstick, or combing hair
2. Dog sitting on lap
3. Drinking hot coffee
4. Eating
5. Looking in the back seat to see if the baby is ok.
6. Window shopping
All the above falls under the category of driving without due care and attention, or dangerous driving, or some other law.
Seems to me the Province and the Police have a different law for everyday of the month, and use whatever is convenient at the time, as opposed to using the appropriate law, along with the appropriate penaltys.
We dont need laws in this Country that are designed to generate revenue as opposed to actually ensuring that our roads are safe.
But it’s a ‘stern’ warning. Obey!
That’s okay, I just had some flighty young mum bump my vehicle at an intersection in a residential area. She hopped out with her device STILL IN HER HAND. No damage done so we went off on our merry ways… As I drove away she was desperately texting again. Come on people, I don’t try to eat ribs while driving and I think that the use of these devices are actually more dangerous than Joe-Blow having a single or two after his shift. I agree with the prior poster about starting chapters for MAAHHDD. Sign me up!
A couple summers ago I had a woman almost run me down on my motorcycle in Pinecenter parking lot. When confronted by my wife (who was naturally upset ) she said she was completely stopped before she used her phone. This is pure BS , she actually left skid marks from braking so hard when I hit my horn . Then she proceeded to complain how it was an inappropriate conversation to have in front of her young child , to which my wife asked if it was appropriate to have her child watch her run someone down and injure or kill them because she was paying attention to her phone and not the road .
It doesn’t matter who you are, distracted driving is a problem for everyone.
http://www.globaltvbc.com/video/coroners+inquest/video.html?v=2332280554&p=3&s=dd#stories
I was stopped last fall by a cop who thought he saw me on my phone. I didn’t even have a phone in the car. That doesn’t mean I don’t talk on my phone while driving. Of course I do if I don’t want to miss a call but I usually pull over once the call is established. In most residential areas (excluding the VLA) there is rarely a cop and that’s the way it should be. They generally have no reason to be there — can’t have a thousand more cops on the payroll just looking for me on my cell.
My cellphone is my business phone and is my lifeline to my customers. Tha being said I have absolutely no problem with the current laws pertaining to cell phone use. I have been using a hands-free device for years and find this to be an effective compromise to the cellphone debate.
What bothers me is that the RCMP, ICBC and our government keep talking about distracted driving, but they only seem to be concerned about cellphone use. Every day, I repeat absolutely every day, I see drivers driving around with their pets in their laps. In summer weather, Fido or Fifi is often hanging out of the driver’s window (or the passenger window) effectively blocking the side rearview mirrors.
How on earth can you safely operate your vehicle with a freaking dog on your lap? Why is it that nothing seems to be done about this distraction. I’m at a complete loss as to what makes a pet owner think that this is a good idea. Perhaps they are thinking….Hmmm, I love my dog so much that I can’t leave him/her alone at home for even a moment. So, I’m going to bring him/her with me every where I go and because I love my pet so much, I’m going to let in run loose in my vehicle or better yet, I’ll endanger it’s life and the life of every other driver on the road by letting it sit on my lap while I try to operate my vehicle. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea! That’s what I will do!
If ICBC, our government and the RCMP think that distracted driving is a problem, why do they continue to ignore this problem???
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