The Insurance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC) and the police are urging motorists in the region to avoid using their smartphones – or at least to properly secure the devices – while on the road to avoid any distracted driving risks.
According to estimates by the ICBC, about 25% of the on-average 800 crashes annually are related to distracted driving, which takes the lives of 78 people each year.
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“One of the most common distracting things people do is engage with their phone, and it’s one of the riskiest distractions,” ICBC road safety manager Mark Milner told CBC.
British Columbia had passed strict distracted driving laws back in 2010 to encourage motorists to exhibit proper and safe driving habits.
“A person must not use an electronic device while driving or operating a motor vehicle on a highway,” Section 214, Chapter 318 of the Motor Vehicles Act read.
Despite the Motor Vehicle Act’s best intentions, authorities have netted $48 million in fines since the law was passed due to drivers being caught using their phones while behind the wheel.
CBC reported that part of the reason why many still get caught and fined for using their phones is that the general description in the law leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Officials said that the wording was deliberate to cut down on distraction-caused accidents.
Police have recommended that drivers who plan to use their smartphones as GPS devices should properly mount their gadgets in a way that does not obstruct their view of the road ahead. Any form of video or television being shown on a smartphone is not allowed, and touching of the device is heavily discouraged.
“You can only give voice commands to change the programming,” said RCMP Sgt. Lorne Lecker, detachment commander Deas Island Traffic Services.
“We do not charge if a person merely casts a glance towards the phone. We charge that driver who has that look we all see far too often. The one staring unmoving at their screen.”
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