RCMP detachments from across the Lower Mainland are preparing to crack down in a ‘blitz’ on distracted driving starting this weekend.
It’s all part of a wider effort by ICBC, the province and police to reduce the number of accidents and deaths caused by people using their cell phones while driving.
"Distracted driving endangers the lives of British Columbians with devastating effects for families and communities. It also puts significant pressure on insurance rates,” said Attorney General David Eby in a press release. “Improving road safety is key to creating a sustainable auto insurance system with more affordable rates for everyone.”
Since 2010, police in B.C. have issued over 370,000 tickets to people using an electronic device while driving. In Coquitlam, last year alone RCMP said they handed out 621 tickets. “The more enforcement we do, the more tickets we write,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin.
As the number of tickets go up, so too do the rates. Last spring, the provincial government passed legislation raising the maximum fine for distracted drivers to $2,000 for those caught using an electronic device twice in three years.
According to ICBC's vice-president public affairs Lindsay Matthews, you are five times more likely to crash if you are using your phone while driving. It’s a statistic that has police scrambling for a solution.
“Often we’ll just have officers walk into the crosswalks,” said McLaughlin. “[But] people try to hide that they are on their phones.”
In response, Coquitlam RCMP has gotten creative, climbing on top of buildings, SkyTrain platforms and even a cherry picker to check for cell phones in drivers’ laps.
Still, the number of tickets and accidents keep climbing, and even with the bi-annual month-long blitzes, McLaughlin remains skeptical.
“It doesn’t seem that enforcement alone will get people to stop using their devices,” he said. “A lot of it is going to come down to a cultural change. We haven’t reached that point as a society.”
Distracted driving in B.C. (ICBC)
What makes driving ‘distracted’?
Current legislation divides distracted driving into two categories, the first of which includes drivers caught using an electronic device.
That includes cell phones, MP3 players or any sort of navigation device that you pick up while you are driving. Wear one earbud? Legal. Put in a second and you risk getting fined.
“If you’re phone rings and you hit it once, that’s okay,” said McLaughlin. “If you hit it more than once — you put in an address, you respond to a text —you’re automatically committing an offence.”
The second category of distracted driving is more subjective and applies to everything from putting on makeup to driving with a dog in your lap. What really counts is when someone loses control of the vehicle.
“I’ve seen people eating an open bowl of cereal while driving. Driving with their knees and elbows,” said the corporal.
The latest ‘blitz’ starts today and will be running to the end of March.
