Close X
Friday, November 1, 2024
ADVT 
National

March is Distracted Driving & Occupant Restraint Month for BC Police

28 Feb, 2020 09:16 PM

    March is Distracted Driving/Occupant Restraint Awareness Month and police across the Province will be conducting intensified distracted driving enforcement in your area. Fatal and serious injury motor vehicle collisions due to distracted driving are completely preventable and BC RCMP Traffic Services is reminding drivers to keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel.


    Lego car with driver holding phone, Lego RCMP officer standing by car


    Distracted driving is responsible for more than 25% of all car crash fatalities and is the second leading cause of fatal collisions in BC. Every year, an average of 76 people die in fatal motor vehicle collisions in BC because the driver was distracted or not paying attention.


    Distracted driving is more than just using an electronic device but also includes other distractions such as personal grooming, eating/drinking, reading, pets, other passengers and not knowing your route. Doing any of these things while driving may cause your trip to end in tragedy.


    It all starts with you, says Supt. Holly Turton, Officer in Charge of BC RCMP Traffic Services. Ask yourself if it is worth your life or someone else’s to answer a call, check your email or send that text while you are driving. Please make the right choice when you drive – ignore your phone and drive responsibly – your life may depend on it – and others are depending on you to get to your destination safely.


    Police across the Province are stepping up distracted driving enforcement. The fines for distracted driving (using electronic device = 4 points or driving without due care = 6 points) start at $368 and 4 penalty points for a minimum of $620 for the first offence, and the costs increase with each subsequent offence. In addition, your insurance costs may be affected.


    And, while seatbelt compliance is generally quite high in BC, on average, 52 people are killed every year in collisions that may have been survivable had restraints been worn.


    Occupant restraints refers to all occupants of your vehicle, including children who are required to be secured in approved infant or child seats, appropriate to age and height. Police recommend that you always buckle up even if you are going short distances – seatbelts and airbags work together to protect you and the occupants of your car. The fine for not wearing a seatbelt is $167.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Man Accused Of Abducting Toddler In 1987 Returns To Canada To Face Charge

    Man Accused Of Abducting Toddler In 1987 Returns To Canada To Face Charge
    Allan Mann Jr. has been charged with abduction for allegedly kidnapping his son Jermaine in 1987, Toronto police said.    

    Man Accused Of Abducting Toddler In 1987 Returns To Canada To Face Charge

    Privacy Czar Asks Court To Declare Facebook Broke Law Governing Personal Info

    Privacy Czar Asks Court To Declare Facebook Broke Law Governing Personal Info
    OTTAWA - The federal privacy czar is asking a judge to declare that Facebook broke Canada's law governing how the private sector can use personal information.

    Privacy Czar Asks Court To Declare Facebook Broke Law Governing Personal Info

    Police Had No Right To Seize Hidden Bedside Camera From Airbnb Condo, Judge Says

    Police Had No Right To Seize Hidden Bedside Camera From Airbnb Condo, Judge Says
    TORONTO - A police officer had no right to enter a condo rented to an Airbnb guest who found a video camera hidden in a clock pointed at the bed, an Ontario judge has ruled.    

    Police Had No Right To Seize Hidden Bedside Camera From Airbnb Condo, Judge Says

    Top Ontario Health Official Says Coronavirus Surveillance Is Widening

    TORONTO - Monitoring for the novel coronavirus in Canada will now shift into a new phase, focusing on people returning from areas of China that haven't been quarantined, top provincial and federal medical officials said Thursday.    

    Top Ontario Health Official Says Coronavirus Surveillance Is Widening

    Slow Down Ordered After Second Train Carrying Oil Derails Near Saskatchewan Town

    Slow Down Ordered After Second Train Carrying Oil Derails Near Saskatchewan Town
    GUERNSEY, Sask. - The federal government ordered lower speed limits for all trains carrying large amounts of dangerous goods Thursday, hours after a fiery derailment in rural Saskatchewan sent thick black smoke into the air.    

    Slow Down Ordered After Second Train Carrying Oil Derails Near Saskatchewan Town

    Experts Urge Trudeau To Use African Trip To Reset Relationship

    OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on his way to Africa tonight where he will become the first Canadian prime minister to participate in a session of the African Union.    

    Experts Urge Trudeau To Use African Trip To Reset Relationship