Pricey pic: Stopping to snap a photo costs B.C. driver $582
A Metro Vancouver driver who pulled out his phone to snap a photo while stopped at a traffic light has been hit with a hefty fine.
Metro Vancouver Transit Police, in a social media post, used the anecdote as a cautionary tale about the cost of breaking the rules around using a phone while operating a vehicle.
"It is said that a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Well, this one is worth $368 and four points. After paying the points premium of $214, the driver/photographer's picture of a car will cost him $582," police wrote.
The video shows the driver taking a photo of a bright blue car in the adjacent lane.
According to ICBC data, distraction, which includes using electronic devices, was a contributing factor in 80 fatal crashes in the province in 2022 – the most recent year for which data is available. The five-year average from 2018 to 2022 was 78. In addition, distracted driving is a factor in 38 per cent of crashes reported to police, according to the insurer.
The ban on using devices like cell phones behind the wheel has been in effect since 2010 and ICBC's website notes the prohibition applies even when stopped at a red light, as was the case with this driver.
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