In Washington state, distracted driving has been an issue for a long time. But as the problem continues to put the lives of countless others in danger, the issue continues to concern officials everywhere. Inside and outside of the United States.
According to a series of news reports, in certain areas in Canada, distracted driving deaths are going up even as police hand over more citations for driving while distracted.
The trend is mind-boggling to many, and local officials and regulators are aware of it, trying to look into the matter in order to identify the main issue.
Local authorities say that, in the last few years, law enforcement has focused a great deal of attention to distracted drivers. In 2010, fines associated with traffic infractions added up to $3 million in BC. But when a new law made distracted driving illegal, BC officials collected $8.2 million in 2015.
In the first quarter of 2016, officials collected $2.4 million, and expect to collect $10 million until the end of this year. But what’s more shocking is that when local officials raised the fine this summer, raising the cost of citations for first time distracted driving offenses from $167 to $368. And still, local paramedics have already responded to over 13,000 motor vehicle crashes since then. A considerable increase, local officials told reporters.
As officials investigate if the increase in deadly crashes associated with distracted driving is also due to phone use, we hope that drivers in Washington are able to learn from the increase in the number of distracted driving crashes.
If you’re a driver, do not let distraction take over. Make sure to focus on safety and crash avoidance by always focusing on the road ahead. Put your phone down the minute you sit behind the wheel and remember that passengers may also keep you distracted from the actual driving.
You may follow this link to read the full article if you’re curious to know more.
