The B.C. government is set to roll out tougher penalties for distracted driving.
Effective Oct. 20, drivers caught talking on a cell phone will face three driver penalty points on top of the current $167 fine.
The same penalties will apply to motorists caught watching a DVD, programing a phone’s GPS, or operating hand-held audio players.
“Distracted driving in the second-leading cause of death in British Columbia,” Justice Minister Suzanne Anton said Wednesday. “
“Drivers need to get used to the idea that you can’t be talking on your handheld while driving. It’s dangerous to you and it’s dangerous to people around you.”
According to the Insurance Corporation of B.C., distracted driving kills an average of 88 people per year in the province, while speed claims an average of 105 lives.
Alcohol and drugs account for 86 driving fatalities per year on average.
The government said it won’t be increasing the penalties for texting and driving, which already include three penalty points, but it’s still looking at increasing distracted driving fines across the board.
B.C.’s current $167 fine is among the lowest in Canada. Starting later this month, drivers in Ontario will face up to $1,000 on a first offence, and Saskatchewan and Manitoba already ding drivers $280 and $200, respectively.
“Increasing fines is something that remains on the table,” Transportation Minister Todd Stone said in a statement. “By reviewing the entire fine structure of the Motor Vehicle Act, we’ll be able to make sure that the financial penalties for all traffic offenses are a sufficient deterrent to keep our roads safe.”
In the meantime, Anton said the penalty points could end up taking repeat offenders off the road.
Anyone who collects more than three points is forced to pay a penalty premium on their insurance, which starts at $175, and drivers who keep racking up points can be barred from driving under the Driver Improvement Program.
There were 51,000 tickets issued in 2013 for distracted driving.
