Who cares about distracted driving on B.C. roads and highways?
BRITISH COLUMBIA – If you have an opinion on the distracted driving laws — and we’re sure you do — you will now have a chance to share them with the B.C. government.
The province is considering raising penalties for distracted driving but will first hold a four-week public consultation through a new website and social media through July 16. It asks residents if the current fine of $167 and three penalty points is enough to deter distracted driving.
Should texting garner the same penalty as talking on a hand-held device while driving? How should we treat distracted drivers who are New drivers? What about repeat offenders? Should distracted driving be treated like impaired driving with vehicle impoundment? All these questions are being tackled in the consultation.
Distracted driving legislation was introduced five years ago and in the fall the province increased the penalty points for using hand-held devices while driving from zero to three, in addition to the fine.
B.C. has the second lowest fines in Canada. In other provinces the fines go as high as $579, though Ontario recently passed legislation to increase maximum fines to $1,000.
In addition to the website you can also Tweet @RoadSafetyBC using #distractedBC.
Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton says the goal is to make B.C. roads the safest in North America by 2020 and protecting people from distracted drivers is one of the steps in reaching that goal.
Last fall Vernon RCMP gave media a chance to try a distracted driving course and then earlier this month RCMP in Vernon went undercover, using a tactic that garnered national attention, to catch distracted drivers.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
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6 responses
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We shouldn’t need a law or fines, it should be common sense. The fines increase, but the public doesn’t get the money, it is profit for someone else, so what they are asking for is that you agree with them getting more money.How about the next time you see someone talking on their cell phone, you pull them over and smack them hard for being an idiot. Saves making a new law / regulation, and we don’t lose more of our freedom…..just saying. The powers that be are not focused on safety as much as getting the money…think about it. Maybe we should take away their cell phone…and it can be donated to a cause :) No fines, no profit.Just so you know, I don’t answer my phone until I have pulled off the road….it is called respect.
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I think the 1st fine should be $1,000.00! The 2nd time should be double or triple and lose of licence for 6 months. It’s scary that people do texting while driving.
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there should be a appt that all cell phones have that turns them off after they reach a speed of 15 kph. also the cell provider should be fined if the person that has there service and is in a accident. if some one is killed the person that the driver was talking to be charged as well. fines should start at 1500.00 and lose your licence for 3 months first time next tine 5,000.00 ans lose there licence for 5 years.
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I have almost been in a fewSERIOUS accidents because of people that are texting, I am tired of putting my life in the hands of people that just don’t get it and don’tthink it’s a big deal,$167 is a joke big whoop.$569 is sounding better, but could be more, plus the three points, and take their phone away, impound it, and if a repeat offender, work with ICBC and don’t let them renew their insurance or drivers license. Give them a photo ID for voting purposes and such….
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Distracted driving laws- Obviously texting of any type, along with continued viewing of any type of information on an electronic hand held device should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.Any activity that takes your eyes off the road, and/or hands off the wheel, for more than one second at a time should have enforceable laws against that activity. Any competent driver should be able to observe such a law. That’s where it gets sticky.Some people are adept at eating a burger and fries on the road, some aren’t. Some can drive a vehicle full of people, engage in conversation, operate the controls, eat a snack, accept or place phone calls and never take their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel for more than a second at a time. Maybe two.Then there is the driver who uses the rear view mirror and both hands to apply eye makeup while steering with their knee’s. Four seconds, or possibly 5….6…7 seconds pass between glances at the road. I would say that activity is just as bad as texting while driving.Lets look at talking on a phone, one hand is off the wheel.Though the driver is adept and safety conscious at having a conversation while driving, it only takes one other driver who comes out of nowhere. The half second delay it costs in dropping the phone/burger/coffee to grab the wheel, it could be the difference between a defensive driving success and tragedy.All phones/devices have a speakerphone option. Using the speakerphone function should be the only legal way to talk on a phone. Dialing? Either you have voice recognition or you pull over. Some safety conscious drivers can dial a number by looking at the road, then the phone for one second, then back at the road. The number is dialed over the course of 20-30 seconds while the driver never takes their eyes off the road for more than a second……or maybe two…..sticky.Governments should enact laws that make all electronic communication device manufacturers install simple Voice Recognition Software for placing and receiving phone calls. Make it a law and countless lives will be saved. Those that have the best software will become market leaders. The quality of a devices VRS will become a “driving” force behind sales and marketability. The driver would never have to touch the device to answer or place phone calls. But if you could operate your phone without looking at it, you would not see the advertising.Distracted driving laws need to be enforced on all types of distracted drivers. As with most crimes, make the punishment fit the crime. Make the maximum fine for distracted driving $5,000. Create a list of offences.Give the police the power of discretion to write a ticket for the maximum fine for any activity that constitutes distracted driving. It will put that maximum fine figure floating around in the head of every single driver who contemplates breaking the law. And the police will have the power to write a ticket to that driver who was steering with their butt.
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Should follow Alaska rules.Alaska Distracted Driving Laws Updated on Mon, 11/18/2013 The legislation regarding distracted driving in Alaska was put into effect in September 2008. Alaska distracted driving laws are not the strictest in the country, with only a text messaging ban, but the enforcement and the penalties are pretty harsh.When the law went into effect, sending text messages, or using some other electronic device while driving, became a misdemeanor, subject to severe penalties and jail sentences. Talking on a cell phone while driving is allowed.Text Messaging Ban In Alaska, there is a ban on text messaging for all drivers. This means that they are not allowed to compose, send, or read text messages while they are driving. This is a primary law, which means that you may get pulled over by a police officer and get a ticket for violating the text messaging ban, even if you haven’t committed another traffic violation prior to that.Alaska has the harshest distracted driving penalties in the United States. The maximum fine for breaking the text messaging ban is $10,000. In addition to that, violators may be sentenced to up to one year in prison.More from the blog:
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