On the afternoon of July 25, the West Shore RCMP teamed up with ICBC and BC Highway Patrol to launch a campaign reminding drivers to stay focused on the road and avoid distractions. RCMP say despite extensive warnings and a robust advertising campaign, many drivers were still caught violating distracted driving laws.The campaign was widely advertised, with RCMP officers informing motorists in advance of their enforcement locations through local radio, news outlets, and signage along Veterans Memorial Parkway. Distracted driving messages were also displayed on digital billboards in the area..Officers and volunteers were stationed at three locations along Veterans Memorial Parkway, chosen due to the high volume of traffic during afternoon hours."Distracted driving is one of the leading contributing factors to fatal collisions in B.C.," said Colleen Woodger, ICBC Road Safety Coordinator."West Shore RCMP reached out to us to help them educate the public in this campaign. We posted the signage and had volunteers keep track of vehicles driving by where the driver was distracted and using a cell phone."Despite the extensive efforts to warn drivers, the campaign's results were disappointing. In just 3.5 hours, officers issued:30 violation tickets for distracted driving18 written warnings for distracted driving6 violation tickets for other driving offences3 warnings for other driving offences"Drivers would have passed by numerous signs warning them against distracted driving before being pulled over by police. We were disappointed in the high number of tickets we issued for distracted driving. We had hoped the number would have been much less," said Const. Sean Van Londersele, West Shore RCMP Traffic Unit.Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth reiterated the government's zero-tolerance approach to distracted driving."When, not if, you are caught using your cellphone while you drive, the consequences are steep. Don’t put yourself or others at riskv—vfollow the rules of the road," Farnworth stated.In BC, using an electronic device while driving can result in a $368 ticket and four penalty points against the driver's licence under the Motor Vehicle Act. For new drivers with L or N licenses, there could be even stricter penalties, including driving prohibitions."Road safety is a top priority for us," emphasized the West Shore RCMP. "We will continue to conduct road safety campaigns like this in the future."
