Prince George RCMP issued 212 tickets for distracted driving during a month-long campaign in February and were the targets of some surprising backlash in the process.
"Part way through this campaign, traffic members came to me and said they're not getting the message and they're more confrontational than what our traffic members usually deal with," Cpl. Craig Douglass said this week.
That won't stop police from continuing to enforce the law, said Douglass. A ticket for distracted driving, issued when a driver is found using an electronic device while behind the wheel, carries a $167 fine.
"This is certainly something that our officers are going to continue to monitor and try to educate drivers essentially," Douglass said. "Unfortunately, if it means giving them a fine, that's too bad because ultimately you're 23 more times to get into a collision when distracted."
Talking on a cellphone, texting or looking at a handheld GPS while the vehicle is in motion is out of the question, but so is using one while stopped at a red light. And pulling over to the side of the road is also not good enough, Douglass said.
"You need to pull into a parking lot or pull off into a driveway or somewhere where you're off the travel portion of the road including the shoulder," Douglass said, and added the vehicle needs to be put in park.
The Motor Vehicle Act states a driver cannot use an electronic device while behind the wheel and that includes holding or watching a device, let alone operating or talking on one. And electronic devices include hand-held GPSs and hand microphones as well as cellphones, smartphones and other hand-held devices.
The only exception are devices that are "securely fixed to the motor vehicle" and "in a manner that does not obstruct the driver's view of the front or sides of the motor vehicle or interfere with the safety or operating equipment of the motor vehicle."
An example is a built-in GPS system.
Also, drivers still going through the graduated licensing program are not allowed to use any electronic devices, including those with hands-free technology.