RCMP officers attached to the region's traffic services section issued 15 tickets for distracted driving within the city in just one day. as part of a province-wide traffic enforcement campaign.
"No call or text is so important it’s worth risking your life. Let calls go to voicemail and ignore your text messages while driving,” said RCMP Corporal Kevin Weeres in commenting on the March 17 effort which was part of a province-wide traffic enforcement campaign.
“Put your phone in the trunk of your car if you have to. Get your passengers to answer your text or call. Explore apps that will reply to calls and texts when you are driving,"
Distracted driving includes the use of electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, and GPS systems while driving.
Distracted driving of one sort or another has passed impaired driving to become the second leading cause of car crashes on British Columbia roadways.
According to ICBC, distracted driving contributes to an average 81 deaths in crashes every year in British Columbia, 15 in the northern region.
A first fine for distracted driving comes with three licence demerit points in addition to a $167 penalty.
It is illegal to use your device at red lights and stop signs. You must be pulled off the travel portion of the roadway and parked.
In all, RCMP officers issued 55 tickets on March 17, a figure that included 24 tickets for seatbelt violations and 16 others for a variety of offences including not having a driver's licence and not having insurance.