“Leave the Phone Alone”… March is Distracted Driving awareness. It is illegal and dangerous to use hand-held cell phones and other portable electronic devices (PEDs) when driving.

If you are caught distracted driving you will be issued a ticket and receive a fine of $368. Every ticket for distracted driving also adds four driver penalty points to your driving record.

Tips for Safe Cellphone Use:

• No call, text or email is so important it’s worth risking your life or the lives of others. Let calls go to voicemail and ignore your text messages while driving.
• Turn it to silent and keep it out of reach and out of sight, or turn on “Do Not Disturb While Driving” features that will send automatic replies to incoming texts and route incoming calls to voicemail.
• Assign a designated texter. Ask your passengers to make or receive calls and texts for you.
• Plan ahead and make sure you have everything you need before hitting the road, like programing your navigation and infotainment systems in advance so you’re not trying to do it while driving.
• Pull over to make or receive a call when it’s safe and legal to do so. For longer journeys, look for signs at highway rest areas, some of which now provide free Wi-Fi.
• Avoid looking at screens while driving, even if you’re using your phone hands-free. Learn the Rules of the Road:
• Don’t use your cellphone at a red light. The law applies even when you’re stopped at a red light or in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
• Keep your hands off. Hands-free means a Bluetooth, wired headset or speakerphone that can be operated with one touch or voice commands.
• If you have a Learner’s (L) or Novice (N) licence, you aren’t allowed to use any electronic devices (like phone or GPS) behind the wheel, for any purpose, even in hands-free mode.
• Make sure you understand the law on how to use electronic devices while driving

Coming soon to a roadway near you … The Vernon RCMP Volunteers in collaboration with ICBC’s Road Safety Department and the RCMP will be starting their Cell Watch Operation in April. They will be looking for distracted drivers and reminding people to “leave the phone alone”. As a result of the volunteers efforts in 2021, 62 warning letters were issued to registered owners.