Update laws to deal with distracted driving

LETTERS

Two drivers were sentenced recently in Lethbridge courts. One, a rancher who injured three people, was charged with driving with undue care and attention, fined $2,300 and had his licence suspended for two months. He originally was charged with dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

The second driver, a woman who killed a motorcyclist, was charged with careless driving, fined $2,000 and had her licence suspended for three months.

The driver that killed cyclist Sherry Handsaeme in May 2015 was also charged with careless driving, fined $2,000 and had her licence suspended for three months. Confused? If I understand correctly, the dangerous driving charge stems from intent and an existence of patterns, whereas the careless driving charge is unintentional. A mistake, if you will. A mistake, regardless of how big it is, or the consequences. If you are negligent and you kill someone, but you didn’t mean to, it’s careless driving. A fine line isn’t it?

Our criminal code does not support anything in these instances but careless driving. With the incidence of distracted driving causing death increasing at a phenomenal rate, isn’t it time to reassess these codes and laws?

Where is the responsibility to the family, friends and community? How does the driver repay their “debt to society”? By being fined or having their licence suspended?

When I was in school, I remember drivers that had caused accidents and deaths had to recount their stories to show us what “could happen.” Why don’t we still do this? Why are these drivers counselled not to speak in court and not apologize, to take responsibility for their actions? To stand up in front of family and friends and say, “I did this, I’m sorry.”

It’s time to update our criminal code and revise our laws to reflect the consequences of distracted and negligent driving. Somehow these drivers need to show responsibility for their actions and have true consequences to taking a life.

I have seen very little energy and funding directed toward distracted driving. What plans do our provincial and federal governments have to update our criminal code in this respect? What education do they have planned to reduce the deaths caused by distracted driving? We seem to be far behind the curve and it’s past time to catch up. We know that distracted driving is causing more deaths than impaired driving. When will negligence become a criminal offence?

Trudi Mason

Lethbridge