Another jump in the number of St. Albertans nabbed for distracting driving shows motorists are not yielding a bad and dangerous habit while behind the wheel.
That should worry every driver who is risking their safety as they travel city streets to take children to school and sporting activities, run errands or head to work. Pedestrians are also at risk of being hit by vehicles operated by motorists who refuse to stop using their cellphones.
Last month, St. Albert RCMP said officers handed out a total of 834 tickets for distracted driving in 2017. That's well over two tickets per day, and a significant rise from the 690 issued the previous year. While the ticketing numbers continue to climb at an alarming rate, imagine how many people are not being caught every day.
Despite the constant messaging from police and safety organizations about the dangers of distracted driving, more and more St. Albertans are flouting the law. They seem to believe they are immune from the potentially deadly ramifications and long-lasting effects of operating a vehicle with a phone in their hands.
Their actions demonstrate an appalling lack of responsibility. When St. Albertans are issued driver’s licences, they are given a privilege that carries a heavy weight. The licence means a driver recognizes that safety is paramount.
Alberta’s stiffer penalties for distracted driving, which have been in effect since January 2016, are also clearly not enough of a deterrent. The penalty for using hand-held devices, texting and emailing, is a $287 fine and three demerit points on your licence.
The existing penalties have obviously failed to curb the problem, so it’s time for the province to follow Ontario’s lead and bring in harsher ones.
Ontario has some of the toughest laws in the country to crack down on an offence that leads to many preventable collisions. As of Jan. 1, motorists in Ontario who are convicted of distracted driving for the first time will face a fine up to $1,000, three demerit points and a mandatory three-day licence suspension. If there are second and third convictions within five years, the fines double and triple, respectively.
The continuing rise in distracted driving offences in St. Albert is frustrating for law-abiding residents.
“The focus, when you get in your car or truck or whatever, has to be on driving properly, not endangering anyone,” said Jim Anderson, 55, during a Thursday visit to a local grocery store in Inglewood. “I don’t understand how people think they can talk on the phone or do anything that takes your attention away from the road. It’s insanity.”
When St. Albertans are in control of vehicles that have the capacity to maim and kill, their attention must be on the task at hand. Arriving at their destination safely and ensuring other lives are not jeopardized must be the top priorities. There's nothing so important on that phone that can't wait until the vehicle is parked.
Editorials are the consensus view of the St. Albert Gazette's editorial board.
