If you can operate your dash-mounted phone with just one touch, or program your maps app before you’re on the road and use audio prompts or Bluetooth thereafter, you should be good when it comes to the ramped-up police enforcement during March, also known as Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
In the past, Delta Police, ICBC and Surrey and Langley RCMP have joined forces in an enforcement blitz for the month, on Hwy. 10 in all three cities.
It’s a good corridor with good visibility and is a good reminder for drivers, said A/Insp. James Sandberg.
And if fear of getting a ticket doesn’t distract you from distracted driving, fear of dying or getting injured might.
According to ICBC, you’re more than three times likely to crash if you’re using your handheld phone while at the wheel.
Put another way, if everyone avoided distracted driving, 78 more people would be alive in B.C. every year.
Sandberg said the most common reason for distracted driving are drivers texting or reading the phone’s screen.
He said if the phone is mounted on the dash with audio or speaker enabled so it can be used with one touch only, that’s allowed.
But scrolling through your phone with more than one touch is not allowed, he added.
Sandberg noted that based on recent court decisions, it’s OK to put your phone in a cupholder, as long as you’re not using it or looking at it.
“The danger of that is temptation,” to look at the screen. “If you don’t have the willpower then to leave it alone, it becomes a problem,” he said.
If drivers can’t do that, they should just put their phone in a pocket or bag.
ICBC said last year that if you drive a new vehicle, with monitors in the dash, there’s no reason for people to be using a handheld phone.
The Motor Vehicle Act prohibits drivers from using a handheld mobile device while driving and prohibits sending any texts or emails.
The exception to that is if your vehicle is safely parked off the road. New drivers who are within the graduated licensing program are banned completely from using any kind of electronic device, including hands free.
ICBC has more detailed instructions to avoid distracted driving. If you’re using your maps app for directions, program your GPS before you start driving and pull over to update directions. And use the audio prompts for the directions instead of having to watch the phone, added Sandberg.
It also suggests you consider turning off your phone, or notifications or put it on silent mode and then put it out of sight and out of mind, such as in the glove box or centre console before turning a wheel.
“Driving will always require your full attentions so set yourself up for zero distractions before you start driving,” says ICBC.
While the public tries to behave, they often see police officers looking at their laptops in their police vehicles.
But while the Motor Vehicle Act does provide some exemptions, Delta Police policy goes beyond that and requires officers to use the terminal only for the work they’re doing.
When the public sees an officer using a laptop while driving, they’re using it for directions or for the specific purposes of the call, Sandberg said. But that’s done in a limited capacity. “Because we’re aware of the hazards as well,” he added.
Police can also be fined for distracted driving.
The penalty for distracted driving is four demerit points, plus ($214) on your driver’s licence and a $368 fine.
ICBC notes that non-handheld devices, without a telephone function, such as laptops, can be used to communicate with a control centre.
