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Distracted driving is the second leading cause of car crash fatalities in B.C., surpassing impaired driving fatalities.
“Every year on average about 32 people are killed in distracted driving related crashes in the Southern Interior and you’re four times more likely to crash if you’re on your phone,” said Kelowna Media Relations RCMP Officer, Constable Kris Clark.
Clark said gathering the exact number of tickets pertaining to distracted driving here in Kelowna would be difficult, but he did mention that he wouldn’t be surprised to see the number of violations on the rise.
“Distracted driving is responsible for about one-quarter of all car crashes in B.C.,” said Clark. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see that [number] have gone up.”
March is distracted driving awareness month and in light of the startling statistics, it’s not surprising that Vancouver Police officers have written 1,500 distracted driving tickets since the beginning of the month.
‘This high number is disappointing,” said Acting Inspector Ken Eng of the VPD Traffic Station. “We have seen first-hand the consequences of distracted driving. Leave your phone alone and pay attention on the road. No call or text is worth that kind of risk.”
On average, there’s about 100 car crash fatalities throughout B.C. annually. Speed-related crashes claim the most lives with approximately 105 deaths. Distracted driving falls close behind with about 88 deaths, and impaired driving lands in the third spot with approximately 86 deaths.
For more information on distracted driving in B.C. and the distracted driving awareness campaign, click here.
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