Chilliwack RCMP issued nearly 40 tickets for distracted driving during a recent blitz on city streets.
Despite widespread publicity – and part of a cross-province Distracted Drive Month initiative – local RCMP wrote 39 tickets in a six-hour period.
On March 17Chilliwack RCMP Traffic Services teamed with Fraser Valley Traffic Services and Chilliwack Speed Watch volunteers as they watched for distracted drivers at four separate sites around the city.
Distracted driving contributes to 88 deaths each year in British Columbia, said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mike Rail, and has passed Impaired Driving to become the second leading cause of car crashes on British Columbia roadways.
It includes the use of electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, and GPS systems while driving.
“No call or text is so important it’s worth risking your life.” said Cpl. Rail. ”Let calls go to voicemail and ignore your text messages while driving.”