On March 1, National Distracted Driving Day, Williams Lake RCMP gave out 18 tickets at $578 each to offending drivers over the course of four hours in the downtown core.
Const. Colin Champagne, municipal traffic officer for the Williams Lake RCMP, said motorists talking or texting on their cell phones while driving can expect more of the same enforcement in the weeks and months to come.
“We all know it’s an issue. We all see the head bobbers,” Champagne said of drivers reading or sending texts with their cell phone on their lap or holding it below the dashboard.
Champagne admits distracted driving is a growing problem in the lakecity, and one he sees regularly both off duty and on.
“It’s like a wave in the ocean. We’re just one person and it’s overwhelming at times (as officers.)”
On March 1 officers stood on a balcony overlooking Oliver Street and photographed drivers on their phones, while other officers waited below to ticket offenders.
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The fine for a single distracted driving violation ticket is $368, along with four penalty points that will be applied to a driver’s record. On a first infraction, these points will also result in a driver paying a further $210 ICBC driver penalty point premium, for a total of $578 for a first infraction.
A second ticket within a year will cost drivers $888, and the fine increases as the offenses pile up. A driver who gets their 10th ticket for distracted driving, for example, will cost $16,000.
According to ICBC, research evidence has shown that approximately one-quarter of crashes can be attributed to driver distraction: attention being diverted from driving tasks.
Champagne hopes drivers will heed the warnings, measure the risks and leave the phone alone while driving.
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