The St. Albert RCMP and Municipal Enforcement Services more than doubled the amount of distracted driving tickets they handed out last year, compared to two years previous.
Some 829 distracted driving tickets were handed out in 2017, which is a sharp increase from the 401 written in 2015.
The St. Albert RCMP said that the combination of residents’ frustration about the numbers of distracted drivers on the road and the increased collision risk for those who are driving while distracted has caused the detachment to focus on distracted driving enforcement as a priority.
Cpl. Tim Gaultois, officer in charge of the St. Albert Traffic Services said in a statement that the detachment will continue to focus on distracted driving enforcement in 2018.
"Pre-setting your music, and ensuring your kids are properly secured prior to driving will reduce distractions. And, of course, drive cell phone free for everyone 's safety,” Gaultois said.
Over the past three years the number of distracted driving tickets has been steadily increasing. In 2015 some 401 tickets were handed, which is 1.1 tickets per day or 1 ticket per 158 residents. By 2016 the number had jumped by 70 per cent and the RCMP and MES had handed out 682 tickets, which is 1.9 tickets per day or 1 ticket per 95 residents.
In 2017 the number of tickets handed out hit a high of 829, which is a 21 per cent increase from 2016 and it equals 2.3 tickets per day or 1 ticket per 79 residents.
St. Albert detachment commander Insp. Pamela Robinson said that as local RCMP vehicles need replacing the detachment will be looking at getting larger vehicles, which will provide the advantage of height when capturing visual evidence of distracted driving.
"The benefit of having a bigger vehicle is capturing the actual evidence, so seeing the driver of the other vehicle on their phone. Often, car to car, you pull up to a vehicle there is the impression that the person is on their cell phone but you don't actually see the cell phone because they are looking down," Robinson said.
According to information from Alberta Transportation between 20 and 30 per cent of collisions are due to a driver being distracted. Those drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a collision.
Distracted driving was made illegal in 2011 and had a $172 fine attached to the ticket. On Jan. 1, 2016 the fine went up to $287 and it included three demerit points.
Drivers can face a ticket if they are using a hand-held cell phone, text or email even while stopped at a red light; use electronic devices such as laptops or video games; or are entering information into GPS. Reading print materials, writing and personal grooming while driving can all lead to a ticket for distracted driving.
DISTRACTED DRIVING TICKETS ISSUED
Year Tickets Difference Per population Per day
2015 401 --- 1 ticket / 158 residents 1.1 tickets / day
2016 682 + 70% 1 ticket/ 95 residents 1.9 tickets / day
2017 829 + 21% 1 ticket/ 79 residents 2.3 tickets / day
Total 1912
