Young people are not the only ones heading back to school this week.
The Coquitlam RCMP said they will be handing out hand-drawn children's pictures showing the dangers of distracted driving as part of the Think of Me education campaign with ICBC.
"Our goal is to educate and enforce school zone violations with a particular focus on distracted driving," said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin. "If you're tired of hearing that message from police officers, perhaps you'll be more receptive to hand drawn Think of Me cards that have been made by the students themselves."
The pictures, which also include facts about distracted driving, rules of the road and tips for drivers on how to avoid being ticketed, will be distributed in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam between Wednesday and Friday.
According to ICBC, drivers who are talking on a cellphone lose about 50% of what's going on around them visually. As a result, an average of 78 people die each year in crashes where distracted driving was a contributing factor and distracted driving is responsible for 28% of all car crash fatalities in the province.
Motorists are encouraged to turn off their phones and put them out of sight when driving and should always pull over to receive or make a call.
Drivers are also prohibited from using a phone at a red light and anyone with a learner's (L) or novice (N) licence are not allowed to use any electronic device, even in hands-free mode, according to ICBC.
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