Distracted Driving Law Clarified

Written by Peter McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM Tuesday, 04 February 2014 15:22

Police in BC are laying down the law on distracted drivers. A month long blitz is underway, and local RCMP spokesman Gord Molendyk says even if you're waiting at a traffic light, it's illegal to be texting or using a phone. "And people who say, 'I'm not driving,' well yes you are, because you're supposed to be focused on the lights, and on the traffic beside you. Your attention is away from your driving which is what you're doing when you're stopped at that stop sign," says Molendyk. Molendyk says anyone caught will be fined $167, plus 3 penalty points. "You are not to operate any electronic device. It must be hands free, so that's where a

blue-tooth comes in." Molendyk says police will be using different techniques to catch drivers. "There could be a number of things. I won't tell you all the tricks and methods they use. It could be as simple as an officer driving down the road seeing an indiviual using a cell phone, and getting a ticket." Molendyk says Feb 14th Valentine's Day, will be a special enforcement date with a campaign aimed at getting loved ones home safely. ICBC says an average of 34 people die each year in BC's Southern Interior from distracted driving.