Distracted Driving Campaign Launched
This month, The Prince George RCMP and North District RCMP will be actively looking for those who can’t resist chatting or worse yet, texting, while behind the wheel.
“The use of electronic devices while driving is still significant in this region” says Corporal Craig Douglass of the Prince George RCMP. “This month, our officers and volunteers will be involved in an education and enforcement campaign throughout the City.”
Volunteers will be doing the education part, but if stopped by an officer, expect a ticket. The fine is $167 dollars and three penalty points.
Although use of electronic devices has been banned in B.C. since 2010, distracted driving still accounts for one in four fatal crashes in the province. According to ICBC, on average, 15 people die each year in the North Central region because of distracted driving.
The odds of being involved in a crash increase by 5 times when using a phone.
And don’t think you can get away with taking that call, or sending a quick text while at a red light, or in stalled traffic, the law still applies in those circumstances.
Comments
I do a lot of driving while sitting up above most traffic. More than half the drivers out there have their cellphones in their hands.
Penalties are not deterrent enough.
Need a $ 1,000.00 fine and 30 day vehicle impound first offense.
$ 2,500.00 fine and 6 month driving suspension second offense.
Jail time third offense.
Otherwise, you’ll never get these social media morons off their stupid devices.
but, but, but it’s not their fault!
From ICBC 2 pager come these words:
“Pull over to make or receive a call.”
“If you have to take a call, pull over if it’s safe to do so
or use your phone in hands-free mode;”
“stay focused on the road and keep the conversation brief”.
I do not see anything about that in this report.
Most devices these days can be voice activated or linked via Bluetooth over the car radio.
Are we still allowed to speak to passengers, or is that distracting as well? I know it can be. Just as much as thinking about things that need to be done, or the argument you had before you left. Distraction does not have to center around physical things such as eating a sandwich for instance or taking a drink from a thermos.
A good defensive driving course will teach you that when you open the car door, sit down comfortably and buckle up before you start the car, and definitely before you put it into drive/gear, you take a moment and get your mindset to focus on the task ahead and drop any potential distracting thoughts.
I still see people with the phone glued to there ear driving through intersections. and a lot more sitting there with there heads down. Sad thinking that a person cannot get through the day without feeling the need to have there phone in there hand while driving. You best hope your god is on your side if you maim or kill someone in my family because your self righteous attitude towards using your phone. Unrelated , what happened to free for all Friday ? is it no more?
There, Their, Their,…..Fixed it for you.
monkeyseemonkeydo click on Views.
I`m going to predict 230 drivers in PG..
At $167, BC has the second lowest distracted driver fine in Canada. No complaints here about the fine amount, or the attempt to get drivers off their hand held devices… I am just wondering where all the revenue from these fines will be going? LNG Prosperity Fund perhaps?
Boy this stuff is not hard to find. “Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing
Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing (TFRS) program is an unconditional grant to municipalities to assist them in ensuring community safety and addressing community specific strategic priorities.
The TFRS returns 100% of net revenues from traffic violations to municipalities that are directly responsible for paying for policing. TFRS grants are based on a municipality’s policing costs relative to the total policing costs paid by all municipalities.
Rural communities and municipalities with populations under 5,000 that do not pay directly for policing, participate in the TFRS through a reduction in the police tax.:
Finding out $100 million dollars going into the LNG Prosperity Fund comes directly from taxpayers through increased MSP premiums was not the original intent of that fund. LNG royalty revenue was suppose to fund the LNG Prosperity Fund, but since that revenue is non-existent, why not channel the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing Program funding into the Prosperity Fund as well? MSP premiums, TFRS funds, anything goes right ;-)
Why bother announcing this things? You want to catch them, take them by surprise.
They don’t want to catch us; it’s about deterrence. Hence the publicity.
CL
This month, The Prince George RCMP and North District RCMP will be actively looking for those who can’t resist chatting or worse yet, texting, while behind the wheel.
Chatting? I hope they mean on the cell phone, I can’t chat to my passenger or use hands free Bluetooth??
eaters, timmies drinkers and smokers while driving should be included too.
Are they going to police themselves? They are the WORST for distracted driving. Don’t give me the bull about them being trained to do that, cause that is simply not true. No one can be trained to text and drive, or call and drive, its ludicrous to think so. They just happen to get a free pass like every other thing they “do as I say, not as I do”
Countless times i see them driving while using their mobile computers, talking on the phone laughing, not using turn signals and speeding over the posted speed limit none of which happens using lights and sirens, (which is law in order to break BC motor vehicle rules) so they themselves are breaking provincial laws but not fining themselves.
Even this morning, I saw a CN Police person driving down foothills blvd talking on his phone, driving over the limit, then turned right on university way to climb the hill, and didn’t use his signal to let drivers behind him know he was turning.
I suggest the Prince George RCMP start to practice what they preach before fining other drivers. They too are issued a license to drive as a privilege, not a right.
Let the bashing begin…. the bleeding hearts who think the police are above the law.
Why don’t we just make the act of driving illegal. That should solve everything right there. In fact, make the act of living illegal and punishable by death, since it is likely that everyone will have broken some law or regulation by the end of the day.
I like the signs posted in some states
If you kill or injure a construction worker in a highway construction zone you will receive jail time and a huge fine. I have yet to see any bad conduct in these zones.
Sooooo….. for these people texting and talking on their phones while driving a substantial fine for the act and jail for causing injury.
Anytime I drive into downtown I see several people on their phones while driving, the RCMP apparently do not or worse do not find it worth while as speeding is more lucrative from the point of revenue and proof.
Prince George city council needs to seek alternatives to the policing we now have if community issues are to be entertained.
This is what’s out there so far, hoping the new legislation, when it comes will echo PEI.
From the CAA Distracted Driving
Province Fine Demerits Into Effect
British Columbia $167 3 February 2010*
Alberta $287 3 January 1, 2016
Saskatchewan $280 4 June 2014
Manitoba $200 5 July 2015
Ontario $300 – $1000 3 September 1, 2015
Quebec $115 – $145 4 April 2015
Newfoundland and Labrador $100 – $400 currently
($45 – $180 originally) 4 April 2003
Prince Edward Island $500 – $1200 5 Summer 2015
Nova Scotia $233.95 first offence
$348.95 second offence
$578.95 subsequent offences 4 February 2015
New Brunswick $172.50 3 June 2011
Yukon $250 3 April 2011
Northwest Territories $322 3 January 2012
Nunavut Nothing at this time
I wonder how all that fancy electronic stuff in the dash these days contribute to distracted driving. One time any controls on the dash where operated with a knob and one only had to glance at it to operate the radio, heater, wipers. Now with touch screen one has to study the panel for the proper touch and flip through menu screens so ones eyes are now off the road longer.
It still makes no sense to me that an infraction that is one of the leading causes of traffic accidents has a lessor fine than the simple act of forgetting to renew your drivers license. $360.00 fine for an expired DL but ONLY $167.00 for doing something that can cause death? I don’t think forgetting to renew your license is even on the radar when it comes to being a cause of traffic accidents. I think it is because forgetting to renew your license is a common scenario and it is simply a cash grab. Insurance companies aren’t even obligated to remind you your DL is expired when you go and get your insurance. They look at your DL, write down your DL#, but don’t have to tell you if it’s expired. Unbelievable.
You guys that can’t talk on the phone while driving , better go and take a driving coarse . Cops can do it , why can’t you do it. Hell , i’m driving right now texting.
Will chatting on the road radio with the hand held mic get you a fine.
Using a cell phone while driving? BAD!!
Driving around with your dog on your lap? Ignored!!
I don’t agree with using a handheld cellphone while driving but I think that ALL forms of distracted driving need to be addressed!
balboa: I don’t think so. That is not nearly as distracting as holding a cell phone to your ear. It is also a necessary safety part of many jobs on the forest roads.
Bent: I agree with you. ICBC is right out to lunch.
What about using a iPod or such to pause an audio book or skip a song? Is that distracted driving as well, or is it only cell phones that communicate which is the distraction?
The law says any handheld device so to answer your question yes it is illegal.
Just take their phones away for a week 1st offence, then a month etc.
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