Distracted driving law enters third year of enforcement

It has been three years since a law was introduced to the province aimed at making the roads safer. A distracted driving law was introduced September 1st, 2011, banning you from driving while texting or talking on a phone. Violators have been given tickets or warnings.

Alberta Justice says from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014 there were 415 tickets given out in Edmonton and Jaime Friesen, Public Affairs with Alberta Transportation, says it is a serious problem.

“Research indicates that driver distraction contributes to between 20 and 30 per cent of all collisions in Alberta,” explains Friesen. “Distracted drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a collision than an attentive driver is, so it is something serious.”

Friesen says the law is still young and they will continue to try to use education and enforcement to curb distracted driving. “Crotches Kill” is a campaign aimed at reminding drivers to keep their eyes on the road.

It cost around $220,000 and was rolled out in two phases, with the first wave targeting drivers who try to hide texting by not watching the roads. The second phase asked you to consider how long a text message takes to send and the dangers that can come from that.

He says in a few years they will take another look at the punishments and decide where to go from there.

Friesen says he still sees many people talking on their phones or texting while hiding their phone in their lap.

“The law has only been around for a few years so right now we’re at the stage where we’ll continue to use education and enforcement to encourage drivers to comply with this law,” explains Friesen. “Research indicates that 20 to 30 per cent of all collisions are due to driver distraction and a large portion of this distraction is due to the use of cell phones.”

Friesen says you can’t expect one law to automatically change everyone’s behaviours overnight. He says it will likely take a while, as it did with seatbelts, for people to realize when they do not abide by the law, they’re taking their lives into their own hands.