RCMP Distracted Driving Campaign

[fluffy]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/09/05/bc-distracted-driving-campaign.html

I'm interested to see what sort of numbers this "drive" will produce. If you look around when driving it sure doesn't take very long to spot someone with a phone pressed to their face, it's obvious that a lot of people don't see distracted driving for the threat it really is.

[Relentless]

I wonder if Kelowna will be part of this crackdown? My guess is on a very limited scale!
I will probably see the same 50 neighbors still using their phones after the crackdown period is over, so nothing would be accomplished as usual!

[fluffy]

Police are stepping up enforcement across the province and will be checking for distracted drivers throughout September, they warn.

I'm sure we'll see a piece of it around the valley, just to what extent is yet to be seen. That's what interests me about the final tally after the program runs its course. Is it just going to be like the speeder who slows down for a month or two after they get a ticket or will there be some actual change in behavior ?

[gordon_as]

You can't go from one red light to the next without seeing someone either on their phone , or trying to hide it down in their lap. The fine for texting should be $ 500 and the car should be impounded until the fine is paid.

If they paid out $10 for every pair of photo's , I would mount 2 remote cameras on my truck and make more money on the way to and from work than I do at work.

Why not let an officer work on his day off for say a 25% cut of the fines.

[KL3-Something]

It's just an ad campaign. There was a time when the province backed up these campaigns with money for extra focused enforcement. But not anymore. They just buy some air time.

[MAPearce]

It's just an ad campaign. There was a time when the province backed up these campaigns with money for extra focused enforcement. But not anymore. They just buy some air time.

That sucks...

[Bikerstevi]

I do a lot of driving lets say 100,000 Km a year or more and I see why to many people on thier cell phones when they are suppose to be paing attention to what is around them like motorcycles other cars oh ya and YELLOW LIGHTS don't mean floor it people, and how many cars can go thought the RED Light. I think that Texting or talking on your cell should be NO different than Drinking and Driving, lose you licence for 3 months the first time and a year the next NO exceptions and life if you get into a accedent 3 years and life if you kill someone.... Women seem to be the worst, texting at lights talking on the phone and holding your cell phone out and talking on the speaker phone dose not make it hands-free people.. what will it take for this crap to stop DO YOU NEED TO KILL SOMEONE, OR MAYBE YOU DIE I'm sure the ones you leave belind will be happy..... THINK

[Donald G]

To Bikerstevi ...

I agree. The single processor in our brain can NOT process information from two sources (driving, holding the phone & talking on the phone) at the same time. That includes the many self proclaimed "Supermen and Superwomen" we see on the road every day attempting to prove that they can do the impossible ... until the accident they cause takes place.

[Donald G]

To MAPearce ...

Better the truth that sucks than a lie that makes us feel good but accomplishes nothing.

[Relentless]

I wonder if and when the "Kelowna version" of the Distracted Driving Campaign will proceed.
We should be reading "another 397 drivers caught today using handheld devices in our City, but instead we hear nothing!

I think the RCMP have the same amount of time to nail cellphone users as they have for decibel meters and loud vehicles.
NONE!

[grammafreddy]

I wonder if and when the "Kelowna version" of the Distracted Driving Campaign will proceed.
We should be reading "another 397 drivers caught today using handheld devices in our City, but instead we hear nothing!

I think the RCMP have the same amount of time to nail cellphone users as they have for decibel meters and loud vehicles.
NONE!

I think KL3 already answered this ...

It's just an ad campaign. There was a time when the province backed up these campaigns with money for extra focused enforcement. But not anymore. They just buy some air time.

How about we kick the politicians instead of the cops?

[Ken7]

I wonder if Kelowna will be part of this crackdown? My guess is on a very limited scale!
I will probably see the same 50 neighbors still using their phones after the crackdown period is over, so nothing would be accomplished as usual!

Without strong enforcment, it will be just like our traffic lights.

[Donald G]

Kelowna would have to have eight or ten times the number of police officers in order to be able to enforce ALL of the criminal and regulatory laws on the books. It is time that we came to the realization that we will never be able to afford enough police officers to force complete and unending compliance with even ONE regulatory law such as the recently added distracted driving law.

Whether we like it or not that lack of enforcement ability results in most such laws being enforced on a very intermittent basis, as 'revolving' resources permit. Compliance with such laws becomes subject to "the will of the people" ... and therein lies the problem.

There are simply too many laws for the police to enforce. Those with serious consequences they can handle all of the time, those with moderate risk they can handle some of the time and those with low risk have to stay on the back burner until they are pulled forward and enforced very intermittently. These days "enforcement" seems to include media releases that remind people of the safety aspect inherent in many such laws ... like distracted driving.

[KL3-Something]

I think the RCMP have the same amount of time to nail cellphone users as they have for decibel meters and loud vehicles.
NONE!

The RCMP have sound measuring devices.

What they don't have is enforceable legislation that they can use them in conjunction with.

The current Unnecessary Noise section of the Motor Vehicle Act sucks. It is too ambiguous and too open to interpretation and subjectivity.

[Bikerstevi]

Maybe thats what needs to be done set up a web site and post pictures of drivers texting and talking on their phones with licence plates under the photo and forward the link to the RCMP.......