Editorial — Add bigger fines to penalties for distracted driving
THURSDAY MORNING EDITORIAL — Boosting the penalties for distracted driving is a good idea.
Suzanne Anton.
B.C. Justice Minister Suzanne Anton said Wednesday that penalty points for drivers caught talking on cell phones will be increased to three demerits plus a $167 fine on Oct. 20. Other distracted activities are included in the new rules.
Fact is, too many drivers just aren’t getting the message on the dangers of going Bluetoothless. If the driver ahead of you is crossing the centre line and generally being careless, chances are he or she is talking on a handheld cellphone.
It’s a recipe for disaster. Yet, no law will ever eliminate the problem. For example, fiddling with the volume or station changers on your old-style, run-of-the-mill car radio is just as dangerous.
On the other hand, talking on a handheld cell phone that is on speaker mode is pretty much like talking on a phone linked to Bluetooth.
We make rules to try to reduce problems, but we can never eliminate them. Probably, Anton should add stiffer fines to the demerit points, but the new cell phone penalties are a step to reducing this particular problem.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
The response to this issue by the provincial government is just lame. Fines for distracted driving should have been at $500.00 for each offense right from the start.
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