Police across British Columbia (BC) are ramping up distracted driving enforcement during September.
The campaign has been launched as the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) figures show more than one in four fatal crashes on BC roads involve distracted driving.
This month, drivers are reminded to leave their phone alone when behind the wheel. Community volunteers are also setting up Cell Watch deployments.
“Distracted driving continues to be the number one cause of police-reported crashes in British Columbia,” said Chief Constable Neil Dubord, Chair of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee.
“If your eyes aren’t on the road, and you are not fully focused on driving, you are distracted. Every second counts when you are behind the wheel, and being distracted for just a second could be the difference between life and death.
“Police are passionate about making our roads safer, and the distracted driving campaign is an excellent way to educate the community on the risks associated with distracted driving.”
According to ICBS, distracted driving claims 76 lives each year. Since the distracted driving law came into force in January 2010, more than 430,000 infractions have been issued to motorists for using an electronic device while driving.
