One Year Anniversary of BC's Distracted Driving Law

Monday, January 31, 2011 01:21 PM

Prince George, B.C. - To mark the one-year anniversary of B.C.'s Distracted Driving Law, the RCMP will launch an enforcement campaign for the month of February.

For one year now, B.C. residents have been subject to a $167-fine and three penalty points if they're caught using an electronic device without hands-free while driving. (photo courtesy BC RCMP)

And the head of Traffic Services for the RCMP in BC says police now have one year's worth of statistics to show the enormity of the problem. "In 2010, distracted driving was a contributing factor in 32-percent of all collision fatalities in RCMP jurisdictions," says Superintendent Mike Diack. Out of the 104 related fatalities last year, 15 occurred in the North District.

Diack says over the same time, police across the province issued 32-thousand distracted driving violation tickets.

"A driver travelling at 90km/hr, who takes their eyes off the road for just five seconds, drives the length of a football field, so even a brief glance at a text message or dialing a cell phone can cause serious injury or death," says B.C. Minister of Public Safety Rich Coleman. "I commend B.C.'s law enforcement officers for focusing on distracted driving and making our roads safter for all British Columbians."

During February, police will conduct an awareness and enforcement campaign, loking for any driver behaviour that takes their attention away from the road. Superintendent Diack says police will use innovative ways to check drivers, "There may be a police officer in that mascot costume."

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Posted on Monday, January 31, 2011 01:21 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Dragonmaster on January 31 2011 1:31 PM

You don't need a mascot costume to catch distracted drivers. All you gotta do is pull over every second one and write them a ticket. I have never seen so many idiots behind the wheel as I have in the past year. The worst one was the blind guy from PGSS driving up Domano this morning. I hope you filled your pants once your vision returned. You are very lucky I didn't have one of those car crusher front bumpers.

Posted by: Outwest on January 31 2011 1:59 PM

What is the need to talk all Day on the Phone, it never ends, go to the Library ,Store, Mall ,someone is talking to them selfs , conclusion you People must be lonely

Posted by: HarleyGuy72 on January 31 2011 2:12 PM

I used to be reliant on my phone and used it all the time. Upon implementing the Law I put my phone away when driving and while I have caught myself going to answer it on occasion ,for the most part I do not . If I have a passenger with me I put the phone where they can reach it and have them answer it for me if it is that important. I find it refreshing that as time passed I really do not have anything that is so important , I cannot let my phone go to voicemail and find a safe place to pull over and call them back. or ignore a text until I get to where I am going. There is nothing so important that those who choose to ignore the law ,and there are lots, that they have a right to risk my life and everyone else out there. Hang up and Drive People .It is not that hard.

Posted by: Anastasia on January 31 2011 3:13 PM

lol, I was waiting at the light on 97N by the Chevron and while waiting and counting cars out of 56 vehicles 13 of them we on their phones while driving, so 1 in 4.

doesn't matter how many laws are made there will always be people ignoring them, even if it is costing peoples lives and maybe one day theirs

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on January 31 2011 3:43 PM

How funny is that when somebody right behind you at the mall says loud and clear: "Hi, how are you?" and you stop and turn around - only to discover that it is some idiot talking into his bloody cellphone?

Even funnier when someone who KNOWS you says right behind you: " Hi, how is it going?" and you have decided NOT to turn around because you have had enough of the idiots who are all over the place doing their private things in public???

Posted by: Palopu on January 31 2011 4:22 PM

What are the statistics for distracted driving before 2010???

Why is distracted driving limited to electronic objects.

What are the stats on distracted driving because of lipstick, combs, tooth brushes, petting, dogs on lap, etc;etc; etc; How about back seat driver distractions.

Distracted driving are a contributing factor. What was the real reason for the accidents.

If the Police issued 32000 tickest at $167 per pop that is a pretty significant amount of money paid out if fines.

How many people are distracted by the Police pulling people over on the road and writing tickets. I would say that this is a huge distraction, and that people who rubber neck to see who is getting a ticket etc; are being distracted by Police on a regular basis.

Road rage, and other people driving in unsafe conditions are a huge distraction for other drivers.

Posted by: cincam on January 31 2011 4:37 PM

Driving while talking on the phone or texting is a very dangerous game. This new law will not stop everyone but I think it has had a huge impact.
If we're lucky, Dragonmaster will catch them all!

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on January 31 2011 4:37 PM

Well, I fully support the distracted driving law!

Just because there are other distraction possibilties doesn't mean that we should not make a start somewhere by banning cell phone use while driving!

It's the most obvious distraction. Cell phone records can prove that at the very moment of an accident a driver was actively using a cell phone while driving!

Bingo, guilty!

Holding it below the steering wheel doesn't make a difference!

Nail them!

Posted by: Slim2229 on January 31 2011 4:37 PM

Well, we're of one mind aren't we all? That's a good thing. Unfortunately I've noticed a huge increase in cell use while driving and it's all ages. One day 5 guys in their 50's or 60's, the younger crowd also very dependent on their soothers. And they're making foolish mistakes. Add in the ones that can't drive with a windshield in front of them.
But the police will get the usual whiners, some will even thank them for waking them up, but not many.
Palopu, I don't get it.Are you complaining about police distracting drivers. You're kidding,.....right???
And, if you're distracted on a cellphone, could maybe that be the only factor in the accident??

Posted by: Dragonmaster on January 31 2011 5:33 PM

cincam, if I was in charge there would be at least one cop that did nothing but cruise around writing tickets for stupidity while driving. The poor cop would need a voice to text ticket writing computer to avoid writers cramp.

Posted by: RUEZ on January 31 2011 5:48 PM

I nearly t-boned a driver from Ron's towing because he went through a red light while talking on his cell phone. Then he had the nerve to glare at me like I did something wrong. He's lucky I didn't catch up to him when I finally got turned around.

Posted by: HarleyGuy72 on January 31 2011 7:02 PM

Last summer I was riding my motorcycle down Ospika from Domano. I was escorting a new rider with only a learners license , so I was taking extra care to be riding at a proper speed and as we were coming through the windy section above Vance road , i happened to look in my left mirror just in time to see a speeding car coming up behind me and drifting into my lane. I was able to move and as the car passed me there was a 20 something girl with an N on the back texting while holding her phone at the bottom of the steering wheel , and the wheel was being controlled by the back of her hands. I had to ask myself, was her text that important that she was willing to risk my life , and hers really cause she would have to live with the consequences . Or did I just not matter because I was just some biker? Or did she even see me? Either way to all those who drive with preventable distractions , such as cell phones or lipstick or whatever remember ,your life will be impacted too if you hurt or kill someone. So if you do not care about anyone else maybe you will think about ruining your own life when you run some innocent little kid down on his way to school or something , cause that call or that text is more important than public safety.

Posted by: seamutt on January 31 2011 8:22 PM

Awhile back I read an interesting study done by an insurance company in the eastern states where cell phone use is also banned while driving. It was found the accident rate went up after the ban. The reason being people holding the phone down in the vehicle keeping it out of sight so their eyes are down and not up.

Posted by: Palopu on January 31 2011 8:40 PM

Here is an excerpt from a discussion paper addressing the problem of distracted driving and its impacts to road safety, by the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, and the Ministry of Highways. British Columbia.

**Legislation that bans only hand held cell conversations conflicts with research that has consistantly found no difference in the degree of distraction between hand-held and hand-free cell conversations.

As a result these laws may not provide the expected benefits and may even generate harmful indirect impacts such as a false sense of security for those who talk on hands-free devices while driving.**

There is much more to this discussion paper, however there is no doubt that hand held and hand free conversations while driving are very dangerous. In fact they have been found to be just as dangerous as driving with a blood alcohol reading of 0.08.

So we have a couple of questions here.

1. Why are we not banning hands-free (Bluetooth) phones?

2. Why is the penalty for driving while talking on a phone only $167.00, while driving with a BAC between 05-08 has significantly higher penalties, not the least of which is the impoundment of your car.

Is it possible that both the hand-held phone restriction, and the 05-08 drinking restriction, are really nothing more than a way to generate revenue for the Government. If not then why make exceptions???

Posted by: chrislivingdowntown on January 31 2011 8:55 PM

To me you people are slaves to the car and you should all pay through the nose to drive and clog up the air you fat pigs

Posted by: Palopu on January 31 2011 9:04 PM

Thanks Chris. Good to see you are still a happy camper.

As a matter of interest it has been proven that highway accidents go down as the price of gas rises. So one could argue that if you really want to decrease traffic fatalities we should jump the price of gas to $3.00 per litre.

Posted by: ditdat on January 31 2011 10:25 PM

$5344000 in tickets, in one year... Tax grab.

Posted by: verballabel on February 1 2011 12:12 AM

What about distracted walkers? I see people everyday walk into traffic with their eyes glued to the phone..

If the RCMP stepped up ticketing in PG they could pay for their new station on their own.

Posted by: taxinapothole on February 1 2011 3:17 AM

Why don't they just cut the crap! With today's technology, they could put devices in auto's that would disable cell phone signals inside a vehicle! End of problem!

Don't give me the bull that if you crashed in a remote area, and were trapped in your vehicle that you would need access to your phone. If you hadn't been talking or texting on it, you probably would not be in the ditch to begin with.

When I was growing up, we never even had an answering machine. I put my car off the Pine Pass when I was 16. I was found (thank God) because of tire tracks, not a f@#&!ng cell phone.

Put blockers inside vehicles, problem solved!!

Posted by: acrider54 on February 1 2011 5:37 AM

When I was growing up, we never even had an answering machine. I put my car off the Pine Pass when I was 16. I was found (thank God) because of tire tracks, not a f@#&!ng cell phone.

Just as well Taxi as there is no cell service in the Pine Pass.

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on February 1 2011 9:54 AM

"$5344000 in tickets, in one year... Tax grab."

Great! Excellent! Wonderful! Because not a penny of that pretty sum came out of my pocket!

Nice going!

The Bicycle Helmet Law is being totally ignored too, not only by the majority of riders but by the RCMP as well - has anybody ever seen a person stopped and even talked to by an officer?

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on February 1 2011 10:33 AM

"Don't give me the bull that if you crashed in a remote area, and were trapped in your vehicle that you would need access to your phone. If you hadn't been talking or texting on it, you probably would not be in the ditch to begin with."

As soon as one turns the key and the engine is running a digital signal activates which is received by the cellphone and makes it inoperable.

When a car crashes the engine usually stops.

The federal government has to FORCE car makers and cellphone makers to work together on this, by law.

Simple, but incredibly complicated when government minions must be involved - it would take half a decade and hundreds of millions to get implemented...just look at the Gun Registry and its cost!

Posted by: Vulgar Sage on February 1 2011 11:01 AM

I was narrowly missed by a driver on central once...I stopped looked in my rear view and the driver was barreling at me at full speed,I could tell he was looking right at my vehicle cause his right hand was hold the cell up to his ear and when he finally realized the we were stopped his eyes almost popped out of his head. There was no way he would have had time to stop and swerved onto the shoulder...by the time he came to a full stop he was a car length and a half in front of me on the shoulder...can you imagine the damage he would have caused had he hit me or if someone had been walking on the shoulder.

So if you think that severe injury or death is really worth that text or cell call...go ahead and do it, I just hope that it is not one of your family or friends that fall victim to your urgent text or cell call...have a good life..