The return of nice weather traditionally kicks off the crazy driving season and, judging by the frustration expressed by some of our readers, this spring has been as challenging as ever. We can all take some comfort, though, in the fact that Big Brother is not only watching – he’s finding new ways to crack down on some of the most aggravating driving offences.
Starting next Wednesday, drivers in B.C. will have a powerful incentive to help them refrain from talking, reading and texting on their mobile devices while behind the wheel. Effective June 1, the fine for distracted driving will jump from the current $167 to $368 – plus $175 for four penalty points on the driver’s record. That makes a first offence worth a total of $543. Escalating penalty points will result in a cost of $888 for a second offence, $4,128 for a fifth offence and – for the incorrigible scofflaw – $14,888 for a 10th offence.
Repeat offenders will also face an automatic licence review and could be prohibited from driving for up to 12 months. As well, updated camera scopes will enable police to nail distracted drivers from a distance of 1.2 kilometres. There’ll be nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. And rightly so, since distracted driving is the second leading cause of car crash fatalities in the province.
Ottawa, meanwhile, is now reviewing the issue of driving under the influence of marijuana. With the Trudeau government promising to legalize recreational cannabis next spring, the question the government is pondering is whether there are appropriate blood-level limits for THC. Some U.S. states have set maximum limits and others have said any amount is unsafe.
An online survey of 3,000 Canadians in March found that 44 per cent of people who admitted they drive high said they didn’t believe it affected their ability to drive safely, while another 14 per cent were unsure. Experts say it’s a daunting task to measure THC impairment because it’s problematic: Justin, for instance, might drive quite well after smoking one joint, but Pamela Goldsmith-Jones might be completely frazzled, looking around for the nearest Ikea, out to lunch. It sounds like a recipe for a whole lotta enforcement.
Apart from distracted and impaired driving, there are all kinds of high-risk behaviours we have to studiously avoid. The ICBC list is speeding (which is still the No. 1 killer on the road), failing to yield, ignoring traffic control devices, following too closely and improperly passing.
With Bike to Work and School Week starting on Monday, there is no time like the present to curb those nasty habits. Yes, there are kids out there, darting around parked cars, and lines of young cyclists rolling down the highway. Ultimately it shouldn’t be the fear of getting caught that makes us safe drivers.
