Leave the Phone Alone- New Distracted Driving Campaign Underway
A month long campaign to deter distracted driving has been launched in B.C.
Distracted driving is the second leading cause of car crash fatalities in B.C. with an average of 88 people killed each year. Of that total, 15 of the deaths will have occurred in the North Central region.
Community policing Cell Watch volunteers will be roadside reminding drivers to leave their phones alone and ICBC road safety coordinators will be visiting community events with a driving simulator the public can try.
Drivers can pick up a decal to display on their vehicle at ICBC driver licensing offices and participating Autoplan broker offices to take a stand against distracted driving and encourage others on the road to do the same.
Here are some stats from ICBC:
- You are 4x more likely to be in a crash if you’re n your phone
- Drivers who are on their phone lose about 50% of what is going on around the visually
- 84% of BC drivers surveyed say texting while driving is more risky than drinking and driving
- most rear end collisions causing injury, are caused by distracted drivers.
(info graphic below courtesy ICBC)
Comments
Well to start…if you want to get these arrogant peoples attention, add a zero to the fine and up the points to at least 6.
otherwise it is a joke and they laugh at it….
Perhaps the RCMP could start leading by example?
As I said before,. They should jack the charge up to driving without due care and attention, or dangerous driving, and force these people to defend themselves in court.
Having a system that merely fines people is not a deterrent, or we would not still have this problem. Don’t kid yourself the Government and the RCMP know full well that there is other legislation in place that would deal more effectively with distracted driving. Fact is, they don’t want to spend time in court.
If this offence is as serious as the Government states it is, then they need to use our justice system to stop it. You can always fine the people if they are found guilty in court, however they will certainly be less inclined to reoffend because they will not want to repeat the court experience.
billyinpg, get th car number and call the watch commander if you think they are doing wrong…
Posted on Monday, March 2, 2015 @ 6:54 AM by billyinpg
Perhaps the RCMP could start leading by example?
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They are specifically mentioned in the legislation as being exempt.
bcracer,
I have actually called in to complain, this was after an announcement by the RCMP that distracted driving is as dangerous as drunk driving. I was told by the person on the phone rather angrily I might add that they were exempt from not only that but some other things as well. I was also told they received special training on it. LOL
Two things come to mind in this case, 1st of all if it’s as dangerous as drunk driving why would they do it exempt or not, and just where does one receive “special training” and why is it not available to the general public so the average person could get an exemption.
Don’t get me wrong here I am not defending the cell phone ban at all. I think it is a good thing that needs more enforcement. I do however like to hold the RCMP to the same standard we have to abide by and with the new radio system they have lost the “need” to use cell phones while driving.
Well, if the likelihood of getting pulled over for this is the same as pulling over the speeders and the tailgaters and those who just don’t seem to know how to drive, then it’s not going to carry much weight.
I am appalled driving every single day, going up Peden Hill. Limit is 60. I am in the right lane, going 70 and people are tailgating and passing me as though I were going 50. Nothing but a bunch of bullies on the road. Travelling down Peden Hill is the same thing, it’s a raceway. As soon as some of these people are pulled over and ticketed, perhaps it will be taken more seriously. For now, nothing seems to happen.
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