While many motorists are under the impression that distracted driving is a thing of the past, over the month of February, Langley RCMP issued 594 violation tickets for this offence alone.
February was designated as distracted drivers month and Langley Traffic Section focused their efforts on this offence through various enforcement initiatives. Officers have been in unmarked cars and employed innovative ways to catch drivers, said Cpl. Holly Marks.
The legislation has now been in force for three years.
“Driver distraction is the third leading cause of car crash fatalities in B.C.,” said Leanne Cassap, ICBC’s road safety coordinator for Langley. “These are preventable. We’re asking drivers to avoid distractions behind the wheel and stay focused on the task of driving so that our roads are safer for everyone.”
Pulling over distracted drivers has led to other tickets being issued, said Marks.
In one instance, a motorist was flagged by officers for using his cellphone. He was prohibited from driving. His new Jeep Cherokee was impounded. He is now responsible for the charge of driving while prohibited, the towing and storage fees for his vehicle and the violation ticket for distracted driving.The sad thing is his passenger was a licensed driver.
Distracted driving is the third leading cause of car crash fatalities in B.C., with 94 deaths due to driver distractions, such as using a personal electronic device behind the wheel.