Effective Jan. 1, there will be more at stake for distracted drivers than a couple of hundred dollars – it will cost you three demerit points as well.
The fine for distracted driving will remain at $287, but drivers will take a hit on their record with each conviction.
Okotoks RCMP Staff Sergeant Jim Ross said he hopes the demerit points will encourage people not to engage in distracted driving practices, and to pull over instead of operating their vehicles while texting or talking on the phone.
“Stopping on the side of the road doesn’t seem to be an option for people, they just want to keep on going no matter how dangerous it is,” said Ross. “Everyone is in a rush, it seems.”
He said Alberta is playing catch-up to legislation that has been adopted in other provinces.
According to the Canadian Automobile Association, Alberta is the last province in the country to begin issuing demerit points for distracted driving.
“I hope this will deter people,” said Ross. “The focus should be on the road, not on texting or talking.”
Municipal enforcement manager Tim Stobbs said his department is aware of the ever-increasing number of drivers using mobile devices behind the wheel, but people often forget about other criteria of distracted driving.
By legislation, the law prohibits drivers from using handheld cell phones, texting or emailing, using electronic devices like laptop computers, mp3 players or DVD players, reading printed materials, writing or sketching, and personal grooming.
He said most offenses are the use of cell phones behind the wheel.
“It’s a relatively new phenomenon, texting and cellular devices,” said Stobbs. “We culturally and socially haven’t adjusted properly to how to deal with it.”
He said it is important for the government to do everything at its disposal to eliminate distracted driving before it becomes more of a habit.
Though it may take time for people to adjust, Stobbs said it is something the country needs to move toward.
“If you look at seatbelts, when the laws were first passed to make them mandatory, it took a lot of education to get people to understand their importance,” he said. “Over a number of years we moved toward a very high compliance level. This will be no different.”
Stobbs said Okotoks Municipal Enforcement officers have written 107 tickets for distracted driving since Jan. 1, 2015, but they have also issued warnings to a number of distracted drivers.
The number is not unusual compared to the average municipality, he said.
“We’re a fairly young community, and that younger population is comfortable and active in using cell phones,” said Stobbs. “Older communities might have a little less, but we’re pretty average.”
