Drivers at a Saanich intersection faced a swarm of officers, volunteers and reserve constables in high-visibility gear Wednesday (March 26) morning, in a blitz to battle distracted driving.
Saanich police and the Integrated Roadside Safety Unit honed specifically on cellphone use, issuing 36 tickets in just shy of two hours near the intersection of McKenzie Avenue and Quadra Street. Each driver caught using their phone was issued a ticket with a $368 fine attached and four points on their licence, the department said on social media.
According to ICBC, 10 people are killed and 1,075 are injured on Vancouver Island in distracted-driving-related crashes each year.
The law requires drivers to go hands-free with cellphones, even at a red light or bumper-to-bumper traffic. Drivers with their learner’s or novice licence cannot use any electronic device behind the wheel, even in hands-free mode.
