Distracted Driving Crackdown

[AltaRed]

Re: Castanet article on distracted driving, it is very good the cops are out in force cracking down on drivers with handheld cell phones. I find it very obvious when driving along busy streets such as Harvey Ave who is on the phone.They clearly are accidents waiting to happen. When are drivers going to learn that they are as great a hazard on the streets as a DUI/DWI? It may take months of targeted effort for 'slow learners' and 'societal pariahs' to get it.

[GordonH]

Knowing how many tickets have been issued (300 & growing), clearly the fines & penalties are not high enough.

[Bsuds]

It may take months of targeted effort for 'slow learners' and 'societal pariahs' to get it.

If they haven't "got" it by now they probably never will.

[Whyme2]

This is one of the things I praise the Police for. These asshats have got to get the message somehow and maybe the fines need to go even higher.

[GordonH]

Here is link to the story on Castanet https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/2 ... ed-drivers

As soon as I see the link from CHBC I will add it

[voice of reason]

why just crack down on things? cops need to do their jobs every day and pull these fools over not just go out full force for a few days and crack down.i travel thru kelowna twice a day and see several people blatantly on their phones like its all good and a few more looking sneaky firing off a text at the stop lights.the traffic enforcement is pretty much a joke here. no one ever gets nailed for driving in the HOV lane either. once in a while they crack down on something ,castanet runs a story then back to business as usual

[pentona]

This is one of the things I praise the Police for. These asshats have got to get the message somehow and maybe the fines need to go even higher.

In addition to heavier fines, the cops should immediately impound the vehicle (no matter who owns it) and keep it in locked compound for a good long period..and make them walk home. Its a total addiction and the minor fines are just not sinking into these boneheads.

[GordonH]

why just crack down on things? cops need to do their jobs every day and pull these fools over not just go out full force for a few days and crack down.i travel thru kelowna twice a day and see several people blatantly on their phones like its all good and a few more looking sneaky firing off a text at the stop lights.the traffic enforcement is pretty much a joke here. no one ever gets nailed for driving in the HOV lane either. once in a while they crack down on something ,castanet runs a story then back to business as usual

I would like to see it every day myself, of course I suspect RCMP would need more City tax dollars to fund the officers needed.

As for HOV lane it was only brought in for the transit busses, not to encourage more people per/vehicle

[common_sense_guy]

Distracted driving is barely an issue. Did none of you read about the law firm in Vancouver that applied through the Freedom of Information Act to get the actual numbers of distracted driving accidents with cell phones. They are nowhere near what ICBC has been lying to us about. Lying about the numbers. Think about that. So if they're lying about that the only reason would be to justify higher fines and to increase premiums to cover the cost of most of the idiot or bad drivers that caused way more accidents than cell phone distracted drivers. You're more adistracted driver trying to change a CD on your stereo or change radio stations. Obviously there's going to be extremes for some cell phone distracted drivers. But the actual facts of cell phone distracted drivers is nowhere near what ICBC has been lying about. If I can read dig up that article I will post it. I personally don't like being lied to to justify a change in policy or to raise fines which is merely just taxation. If you want to make a dent in distracted driving. Take out all GPS units,stereo radios, any form of communication built into the car. don't allow passengers or children.. but even if you do that you'll still have the bad drivers and the idiot drivers. They're not singling out cell phone distracted driving because it's the issue . The proof is in the numbers that they lied about.there saying that's why they're doing it because they can justify the fines and enforcement..

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

Dang it, I thought it was to make a clear path for motorcyclists..

[common_sense_guy]

here is link showing ICBC exaggeration and the police about the real distracted driving numbers. http://vancouvercriminallaw.com/icbc-po ... y-numbers/

[motorhomebabe]

Guess they just have to keep pulling them over. Took a long time to have positive results on DUIs ,and that is still somewhat of a problem.

[phasyluck]

Guess they just have to keep pulling them over. Took a long time to have positive results on DUIs ,and that is still somewhat of a problem.

As an observer/driver like most daily commuters, pretty sure I could retire in one month if I was able to keep the bucks from fines handed out.

[Anonymous123]

Distracted driving is barely an issue. Did none of you read about the law firm in Vancouver that applied through the Freedom of Information Act to get the actual numbers of distracted driving accidents with cell phones. They are nowhere near what ICBC has been lying to us about. Lying about the numbers. Think about that. So if they're lying about that the only reason would be to justify higher fines and to increase premiums to cover the cost of most of the idiot or bad drivers that caused way more accidents than cell phone distracted drivers. You're more adistracted driver trying to change a CD on your stereo or change radio stations. Obviously there's going to be extremes for some cell phone distracted drivers. But the actual facts of cell phone distracted drivers is nowhere near what ICBC has been lying about. If I can read dig up that article I will post it. I personally don't like being lied to to justify a change in policy or to raise fines which is merely just taxation. If you want to make a dent in distracted driving. Take out all GPS units,stereo radios, any form of communication built into the car. don't allow passengers or children.. but even if you do that you'll still have the bad drivers and the idiot drivers. They're not singling out cell phone distracted driving because it's the issue . The proof is in the numbers that they lied about.there saying that's why they're doing it because they can justify the fines and enforcement..

I'm going to venture a guess that you use your cell phone while driving.

[LTD]

Distracted driving is barely an issue. Did none of you read about the law firm in Vancouver that applied through the Freedom of Information Act to get the actual numbers of distracted driving accidents with cell phones. They are nowhere near what ICBC has been lying to us about. Lying about the numbers. Think about that. So if they're lying about that the only reason would be to justify higher fines and to increase premiums to cover the cost of most of the idiot or bad drivers that caused way more accidents than cell phone distracted drivers. You're more adistracted driver trying to change a CD on your stereo or change radio stations. Obviously there's going to be extremes for some cell phone distracted drivers. But the actual facts of cell phone distracted drivers is nowhere near what ICBC has been lying about. If I can read dig up that article I will post it. I personally don't like being lied to to justify a change in policy or to raise fines which is merely just taxation. If you want to make a dent in distracted driving. Take out all GPS units,stereo radios, any form of communication built into the car. don't allow passengers or children.. but even if you do that you'll still have the bad drivers and the idiot drivers. They're not singling out cell phone distracted driving because it's the issue . The proof is in the numbers that they lied about.there saying that's why they're doing it because they can justify the fines and enforcement..

i can agree with you about it not being a big issue if it was only people talking on their phones, however texting is flat out dangerous no ifs ands or buts about it, and most people i see wandering all over the road or with their head down at a light are texting and that is a problem .