Phone fans beware: stiff penalties on way
Drivers using hand- held devices are subject to demerit points as of Oct. 20
British Columbia is cracking down on distracted drivers, announcing on Wednesday stiffer penalties for activities such as talking or texting on a mobile phone.
Effective Oct. 20, penalty points for drivers caught talking on a hand- held device while driving will be increased to three from zero demerits, B. C. Justice Minister Suzanne Anton said.
This new penalty, which also covers infractions like watching a DVD, programming a phone’s GPS and operating hand- held audio players, is being combined with the $ 167 fine already in place for talking on mobile phones.
Penalty points remain on a person’s driving record for five years and can result in further penalties, including prohibitions from driving. The penalty for anyone who receives more than one distracted driving ticket in a year is at least $ 634, — the equivalent of two fines and a $ 300 penalty premium for six points — Anton said.
Driver penalty points are separate from Autoplan insurance premiums and those caught for these infractions will be billed even if they don’t own or insure a vehicle.
The premium ranges from $ 175 for four points to $ 24,000 for 50 or more points, according to the Insurance Corp. of B. C.
Anton said the province will continue to look at whether to increase fines for distracted driving and will consider fine amounts in other provinces. Ontario, for instance, is considering raising the fine for texting to up to $ 1,000 from the $ 60to-$ 500 range.
“I’m very concerned that distraction in all forms is the second- highest contributing factor in motor vehicle fatalities in B. C. It’s clear that the $ 167 fine is not enough on its own, so we’re starting by targeting those people who are talking on a hand- held device while they’re driving with more severe penalties,” Anton said in a statement.
“Ticket volumes show us that more drivers are ticketed for talking on an electronic device than for texting and driving, and so that is where we decided to start with the new penalty points.”
Research shows five seconds of texting while driving at highway speeds is like driving blindfolded for almost the length of a football field, Anton said, while reminding drivers that using an electronic device while stopped at a red light is an offence under the Motor Vehicle Act.