Report tallies insurance costs of distracted driving
EDMONTON If you get a distracted driving conviction in Alberta, you can expect to pay around 24-percent more in auto insurance, according to a new report.
The report, released by LowestRates.ca, found that a hypothetical 29-year-old driving a 2018 Mazda in downtown Calgary who gets a distracted driving conviction can expect their monthly insurance premiums to jump $58, or just under $700 per year.
Add a second conviction and that number increases by another $26 each month. Additionally, distracted driving carries a $287 penalty plus three demerit points.
“We wanted to show just how expensive this can get, beyond just the fine from the police, perhaps with the hope of dissuading Canadians from driving while distracted,” said Lowestrate.ca CEO Justin Thouin.
According to data released by the province, in 2019 through March 31, there were more than 23,000 distracted driving convictions in Alberta.
Though the number of distracted driving convictions has decreased by 14 per cent since 2015, instances have increased by 42 per cent in Edmonton over the same time span.
The steep premium rate reflects the level of risk involved with distracted driving, Thouin says, noting, “your best chance to die today has something to do with a vehicle, whether it’s getting into a car accident while you’re driving, or as a passenger, or getting hit by a car,” he said.
“Not only is distracted driving exceptionally dangerous, and not only is it pervasive among the Canadian population, but also it’s extremely expensive.”
We wanted to show just how expensive this can get, beyond just the fine from the police.
Though punitive measures can be effective at altering behaviour, Thouin says g he thinks governments need to implement more significant penalties to meaningfully deal with distracted driving. “Distracted driving is not being taken seriously enough by Canadians,” Thouin said.
“They don’t view it as dangerous as it is.