A campaign to break drivers out of the habit of watching their smartphones instead of the road took to the city's streets on Wednesday.
Aided by volunteers from Citizens on Patrol, members of the Prince George RCMP's municipal traffic services section were out looking for offenders as part of Operation Hang Up.
A row of roadside signs supplied by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia gave drivers who were paying attention an indication of what was going on.
As for those who weren't, they risked being pulled over and issued a ticket carrying a $368 fine plus four points on their licence, for a further $175. That adds up to $543 for a first offence.
A second offence costs $888 and fines continue to increase from there.
"Distracted driving is the second-leading cause of fatalities and injuries in the province of B.C. and this is just a reminder to motorist that they need to put their cellphones away," said ICBC road safety coordinator Doug MacDonald.
Alternatives to risking a ticket or worse include making the calls before taking to the road, pulling over to take the call when it's safe to do so or wait until reaching the destination.
Telltale signs a driver is preoccupied with an electronic device centre on erratic driving - blowing through lights, sudden braking and weaving out of the lane - said Prince George RCMP Cst. Patrick Kennedy.
Even if the cellphone is off but is still in your hand, you're violating the law, Kennedy added.
"Put it away, put it in your pocket," he said. "Buy a hands-free device."
Those seen by Citizens on Patrol volunteers who have not been pulled over can expect a letter in the mail warning them of what could have happened had police been on hand to issue a ticket.
Of the 1,400 vehicles volunteers checked during a watch earlier this month at 15th Avenue and Highway 97, 31 were seen operating an electronic device while driving.
"It's really to get that message out there, that education," said Citizens on Patrol program coordinator Mike Burt. "We want people to get out of that habit of getting on the phone while driving. Leave the phone alone."
