add a zero to the fine and double the points ….as a start….that might? get some of their attentions.

Two weeks ago a women plowed into the back of me when I was stopped at alight she was doing about 55k when she hit causing $10,000 damage while on phone. This happened in ARIZONA and she did not even get charged. Just her insurance

I guess everyone needs to start taking pictures of offending drivers plus their license plates and send them to the RCMP.
I am completely in favour of adding three points to their record for this offense.
If involved in an accident while using a phone, should equal impaired driving as an offense.

I am encouraged though at seeing so many people pull over and stop to make or receive phone calls.

I saw a story a while back that Victoria RCMP use a bucket truck (or ‘cherry picker’) to catch distracted drivers since these offenders tend to hide the device on their lap. They also pose as road construction workers, and bus passengers (for the higher eye level). It’s been quite fruitful in catching them.

impound their phone or device for a week and make them pay a hefty fee to bet it out, just like impounding a vehicle that is excessively speeding and putting people lives at risk. At least they wouldn’t have the tow bill to pay on top of it. If its’ a work phone and they are in a company vehicle, charge the fine to the company, they will soon take care of their employee being on the phone.

Should take the phone you don’t get to drive away with a beer in your hand if you get stopped, and the loss of the phone will hurt a lot more than a small fine.

Make no mistake about it. It is the Government that is at fault here.

People who drive and talk on their phone should be charged with driving without due care and attention, this is a much more serious offence. In addition they should be required to defend themselves in court, and plead guilty or not guilty to the charge. They can get a lawyer or defend themselves that’s their prerogative.

Once convicted the judge will decide what the fine will be and whether or not a few days in jail is appropriate.

By enforcing the laws on the books, giving people their democratic right to go to court to defend themselves will certainly help to solve this problem. Once people go through the court system, they will be less inclined to commit the offence again.

So, why doesn’t the Government do this?? I suggest that they don’t want to spend the money, and add more stress to an already over stressed justice system, however this is a lame excuse. We need to use our justice system to get the best results, and fining people on the side of the road for a measly $167.00 doesn’t get the job done. What is does do is save court costs and generate money for the Government in fines.

So, blame this situation on the Government where is belongs.

PS. If you are not willing to put in the effort required on this problem, then you are not going to get the results.

Palopu wow… I have a cell phone.. the government doesnt force me to use it while I drive..thats a decision I make..blaming the government is a plain stupid and a cop out.. The court system is already overloaded..last thing we need is more people lined up

Lets put the blame where it really lies.. with Alexander graham bell… if he wouldnt have invented the phone this wouldnt even be a issue.. We should seek out all his relatives and throw them in jail for this situation..that will show them..lol

Ok..lets be realistic.. First off we all know that using a cell when driving is illegal and there are fines etc related to breaking the law.. yet every day driving I see many people using their phones. We have all waited behind someone at a stop light who is texting on their phone after the light has gone green then they speed through the intersection like it makes it okay then. You can even spot someone trying to text while driving as they are swerving all over the road…as they think they are being sneaky hiding it on their lap.

What this shows me is that they just dont care.. or think they are good enough drivers they can text and drive at the same time. Both result is putting themselves and the rest of us in danger. This has to stop.. and the only way is to make the penalty not worth the crime… $1000 fine and lose phone till fine is paid.. next offense $2000 etc.. We all lived without our phones before they became such a big part of our lives….this is not life altering but would be if you caused a accident or killed someone.

Make the consequence for using a phone while driving a deterrent not a annoyance.

There is NO excuse for using a phone while driving.. pull over to a safe spot to use it.. if its a emergency then the last thing you want is adding something else to think about while driving.. PULL OVER.

Beside the two 4000 word essays here by Palopu and PVal, my fav comment has to be Give more’s suggestion we all take pictures of offenders….WITH OUR PHONES? ? ? Too funny

I don’t think pulling over on the Highway is the best Answer, most are so narrow we don’t need any more Hazards like that. That Part for the Road is mend for Breakdowns like changing Tires, not for your Phone Calls, do you really want to be Hit ? Turn the Phone off while Driving is a better Way.

If every car had a blocking device in it from the manufacturer it would end. I am going to patent that right now and get rich,,,,,

The other day I was behind a police car that was braking excessively and serving and it turned out she was checking her on-board computer. I know they need to check on license plates, etc., but she could have very easily caused an accident.

Whoops, swerving

I drive our streets and hwy’s everyday. I get a birds eye view and it appears every second driver is on their phone.

Its the Governments fault because they cherry pick the laws they want to enforce.

Putting people through the court system so that they get the message, may be expensive in the short term, however over the long term it will have the desired result.

Seems people cant get their head around the fact that fining people is not working. Will bigger fines work?? Who knows.

Governments tend to waste billions on all sorts of haywire ideas and projects. Perhaps they should spend some of this money to improve the justice system.

Spend a few days in court with the possibility of going to jail, plus taking time off work, and hiring a lawyer, etc; will I guarantee you get your attention, and you will be less inclined to commit the offence again.

We have established by the above article and the issuance of 4700 fines in March. that people are ignoring the present law, and therefore we should move to using more severe laws such as driving without due care and attention.

All the present law they use has done is generate approx. $786,000.00 for the Government.

Have a nice day.

Good points Palopu. Maybe we need traffic court where the outcome isn’t known until you talk to a judge. we send kids to the principals office why not drivers who haven’t grown up. Imagine if the judge had a minimum and maximum and you had to go to court and convince him that texting on a rainy day while 10 km over the limit doesn’t deserve double points and fine. I think the hassle of going to court would be the more effective deterrent. It would annoy the rich and poor equally.

Funny how you can teach people to smoke in only designated areas but you can’t teach them to put away the phone while driving.

$1000 fine and the phone gets impounded for 30 days on first offence. The penalties double with each subsequent offence. Phone is not returned and owner is not eligible to purchase a new one until fine is paid and impoundment term is over.
I would bet there wouldn’t be many second offences, and third offences would be very rare!
Leave the government and the courts out of it as they both have more than enough on their plates.