You would have to be crazy to keep your phone in the front seat after the province announced some new hefty fines for distracted driving this week.
Problem is, it's just too tempting to take a call or text when the ubiquitous communications device is near at hand.
Consequently, too many people are taking their lives — and the lives of others — into their hands when they take their eyes off the road to do something that can wait. The result is dozens of people dying on B.C. roads each year and hundreds seriously injured, according to the government.
In 2014 alone, the province says, distracted and inattentive driving killed 66 people and seriously injured 630 more.
To stop the carnage and encourage people to take notice of the issue, the province has amped up fines to $543 for a first offence, $888 for a second and $1,600 for a third offence.
May be these big numbers will get people's attention because nothing else seems to — maybe they're too busy looking at their phones.
