B.C. is cracking down on drivers who can’t keep their fingers off their phones.
Solicitor General Kash Heed and Vancouver Chief Const. Jim Chu launched an advertising campaign yesterday to remind drivers that – as of Jan. 1 – it will be illegal to talk or text on a cell phone while driving.
A 30-minute survey conducted by ICBC officials at Denman and West Georgia streets found 116 people were talking or texting while driving.
Drivers caught under the law will face a $167 fine and up to three penalty points depending on the severity of the crime.
“Not everyone is going to abide by the rules in B.C., but we have to do whatever we can to make sure the laws are enforced here,” Heed said.
Last year, 117 people died at the hands of a distracted driver, according to Heed.
The law comes into effect Jan. 1, 2010 but drivers will be given a one month grace period before tickets are issued.
Fully licensed drivers are allowed to use a hands-free communication device such as a one touch headset.
Should headsets be found a distraction Heed would consider extending the ban to include those devices.
