Alberta passes distracted driving law

[Mr.Coffee]

Why not invest in a public gallows? Citizens caught texting and driving can be promptly given a faux trial of a carefully selected and strict judge, not jury, and then swiftly ushered to the gallows for the citizenry to view the end of life ceremony. The convicted's smartphones can be stacked and glued together at City Hall as a symbolic reminder to all about the new consequences and enforcement procedures.

That would curb it I would think.

[bc-chris]

RCMP use new tool to spot distracted drivers

RCMP will be cracking down on distracted driving this May long weekend.
The May long weekend always marks an increased amount of distracted driving tickets, but this year officers have a new tool to help them out.

Officers will have the chance to use new distracted driving scopes. The scopes will help police officers notice if motorists are texting or on the phone, up to 1.2 kilometres away.
The new scopes are attached to digital cameras, which means officers can snap a picture for photographic proof.

https://www.kelownanow.com/watercool...acted_drivers/

[bc-chris]

sorry for the bump, but for those coming to bc....

The cost of distracted driving is about to go up across B.C.

Drivers with two distracted driving tickets in a three-year period will see their total penalties rise to as much as $2,000, an increase of $740 – and this is in addition to their regular insurance premium.
...
The changes come into effect March 1.
...
Distracted driving is a factor in more than 25 per cent of all car crash fatalities in B.C., killing on average 78 people each year.

https://www.castanet.net/edition/new...-3-.htm#210887

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by bc-chris

sorry for the bump, but for those coming to bc....

https://www.castanet.net/edition/new...-3-.htm#210887

Make the penalties even higher. Zero sympathy for people getting caught using their phone instead of paying attention to the road

[Ironhorse]

And I still don't seem to see this law enforced in Alberta...

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

And I still don't seem to see this law enforced in Alberta...

I don't know the recent stats but the first two years or so this was enforced like crazy and brought in a lot of tickets/revenue.

Like do you mean you literally don't see it when you're driving or you don't think the stats show they're doing enough?

[Ironhorse]

I see at least one or two people on the phone a day. And that is just driving to and from work. If I was CPS, I could fill my ticket quota in no time.

[Fuzz]

Try riding the bike lanes. It's amazing the view you can get into how many people have magical underpants they can't stop staring at. Surprisingly, it is more women than men.

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Try riding the bike lanes. It's amazing the view you can get into how many people have magical underpants they can't stop staring at. Surprisingly, it is more women than men.

Is that really surprising?

[Fuzz]

I dunno, I typically think of guys as the ones who care less about laws, think they are good enough drivers to be able to do whatever they want behind the wheel etc...

[Erick Estrada]

Almost every vehicle made over the last ten years has hands free but I see a surprising amount of people in late model vehicles still talking into their phone.

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I dunno, I typically think of guys as the ones who care less about laws, think they are good enough drivers to be able to do whatever they want behind the wheel etc...

From my experience men are easily 80% of people ticketed for using a cellphone (texting and talking) while driving.

[Cuz]

Originally Posted by Zulu29

From my experience men are easily 80% of people ticketed for using a cellphone (texting and talking) while driving.

That's cause guys don't have boobs to get out of a ticket

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by Cuz

That's cause guys don't have boobs to get out of a ticket

Well done, I actually laughed out loud

[4X4]

AFAIC, there are two tickets they could increase to $10,000 - texting & driving, and cigarette out the window.

[Draug]

^^^ and DUI should be at least that high too.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Almost every vehicle made over the last ten years has hands free but I see a surprising amount of people in late model vehicles still talking into their phone.

I don't get that nor do I believe it, for one, talking on a phone isn't really the problem(SM and texting is) and two, what idiot would rather not use hands free to talk?

[jeffporfirio]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Almost every vehicle made over the last ten years has hands free but I see a surprising amount of people in late model vehicles still talking into their phone.

I ride the train into DT every morning, and when not reading, I count how many people are on their phone while driving their cars. I usually get up to ten in Crowchild, mostly men in late model cars.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by jeffporfirio

I ride the train into DT every morning, and when not reading, I count how many people are on their phone while driving their cars. I usually get up to ten in Crowchild, mostly men in late model cars.

Yeah I find it's middle aged men that are the ones that talk on their phones the most and females of all ages that are the worst offenders when it comes to texting and driving. I don't know how many times at intersections you hear people having to honk their horns because a woman is paying attention to her phone rather than the lights. I think distracted driving is one of those offenses that someone has to get stung by a big fine to get it into their heads.

[Northendzone]

count me as someone who is in favour of increasing the fines for distracted driving,. i'd even be happy to ehar that CPS dedicates a team of officers who drive around all day and bust distracted drivers.

i can't count how many times i have been on deerfoot and someone is doing 80, or having issues staying in their lane, you finally pass them and they are on their phone.

a few time si have been behind a guy at a red light on hsi phone and i wanted to honk, but i'd feel like a complete tool if the guy just went and it caused an accident.