Albertans want stricter penalties for distracted driving
Posted Feb 25, 2014 11:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Distracted driving can be just as dangerous as driving drunk, according to Anne Marie Thomas with InsuranceHotline.com.
She said that’s one reason why Ontario has doubled their fine, to almost $300 and many people want Alberta to hike its fine of just $172.
“It doesn’t affect your insurance in Alberta, but my guess is that won’t be for too much longer. It may take a few years but we might end up seeing distracted driving reach the criminal conviction stage,” said Thomas.
She said many people who took their survey want demerit points attached to a fine.
“48% of the respondents thought that would be a good idea, 22% said, ‘no’, and 27% said they’d like to see even harsher penalties,” said Thomas
“Distracted driving is at the same level or worse than impaired driving. We are making a conscious decision to endanger ourselves and the rest of the people on the roads.”
If you get caught driving distracted, you could also face a careless driving charge. That charge does include six demerit points, and a fine of $402.
