Image Credit: ADOBE STOCK
March 05, 2019 - 11:34 AM
KAMLOOPS - RCMP kicked off Distracted Driving/Occupant Restraint Month by handing out 98 tickets to drivers not obeying traffic laws.
Police conducted road checks this past Friday, March 1 on Lansdowne Street and Columbia Street, according to an RCMP media release. Officers issued 98 tickets, and of those, 64 were for using an electronic device and 19 were for failing to wear a seatbelt.
"Fatal and serious injury motor vehicle collisions due to distracted driving are completely preventable," Kamloops RCMP spokesperson Jodie Shelkie says in the release. "Kamloops RCMP Traffic Services is reminding drivers to keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.”
Distracted driving is responsible for more than 25 per cent of all car crash fatalities and is the second leading cause of fatal collisions in the province, RCMP say. Police estimate 78 people die every year in fatal motor vehicle collisions because the driver was distracted or not paying attention in B.C.
A first offence for distracted driving can cost a driver up to $543 including the fine and points added to the person's driving record, police say. Insurance costs may also be affected.
The fine for not wearing a seatbelt is $167.
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