The B.C. government has announced that it will cost distracted drivers a lot more as stiffer penalties have been introduced.
As of June 1, 2016, fines will be significantly higher, motorists will receive more penalty points, and there will be earlier interventions for repeat offenders, including driver prohibitions. The new financial penalties will be calculated using the base fine of $368 combined with escalating ICBC driver penalty point premiums, which start at $175 for the first offence.
Effective June 1, 2016, distracted drivers are subject to the following:
The government says that distracted driving will also be elevated to the threshold for “high risk” driving offences, making it equivalent to excessive speeding and driving without due care and attention. Repeat offenders will also have their driving record subject to automatic review, which could result in a three-to-12 month driving prohibition.
Graduated Licensing Program (GLP) drivers face intervention after a first distracted driving offence and a possible prohibition of up to six months. There will also be longer prohibitions for repeat offences.
The changes reflect suggestions heard by the government during a public consultation in which 90 per cent of respondents indicated they support stronger penalties to help make roads safer. In 2014, distracted and inattentive driving was a contributing factor in killing 66 people and seriously injuring 630 more on B.C. roads.
During ICBC's Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a police road safety unit in Kelowna handed out 37 distracted driving penalties in less than three hours. Over the past three years, approximately 50,000 distracted driving tickets have been issued annually.
