Kelowna – The Kelowna RCMP Municipal Traffic Section, along with Central Okanagan Traffic Services and RCMP volunteers teamed up Wednesday morning for a distracted driving campaign blitz.
March is Distracted Driving month in BC and on March 16th the RCMP and ICBC partnered up to both educate the motoring public as well as conduct enforcement on those not receiving the message.
Simultaneous enforcement operations were conducted at various locations around Kelowna which involved both officers in uniforms, officers in plain clothes, as well as RCMP volunteers.
The operations were aimed at targeting distracted drivers using a three strikes system. RCMP volunteers armed with unmistakable signage reminding motorists to “Leave the phone alone,” were also counting the number of offenders observed using their phone while driving in the area. A short distance down the road a plain clothes officer was then staged in a position to observe those motorists blatantly ignoring the important safety messaging. The motorist would then be stopped and ticketed by uniformed officers even further down the road.
“Sadly even motorists who were reminded by our volunteers to drive free of distractions were still caught continuing to commit the offence by our enforcement officers,” says Cst. Jesse O’Donaghey. “The fine for using an electronic device without hands-free while driving is $167, and comes with Driver Penalty Points (DPP).”
“There are no text messages, emails or conversations that are so important that you need to endanger yourself or others around you,” says O’Donaghey. “If drivers need to make a phone call on a cellular phone or check an email, they are strongly advised to use a hands free device, or pull their vehicle over to the side of the road,” adds O’Donaghey