Columbia Valley RCMP, along with many other RCMP units throughout the province, will be targeting distracted driving during the month of March.

Using your phone while behind the wheel poses significant danger to everyone. Research indicates that drivers fail to process approximately 50% of the visual information in their driving environment when they are using electronic communication devices, pointed out Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment commander Sgt. Bob Vatamaniuck.

“Texting on a phone is often recognized as the riskiest behaviour but other distractions such as searching for preferred music or attending to personal grooming can significantly divert a driver’s attention,” Vatamaniuck said.

The penalty is not light as a driver found using a hand-held electronic device while driving may receive a $368 traffic violation ticket, he added.

“There are also substantial ICBC repercussions when a ticket is issued. Please be safe and leave the phone alone,” Sgt. Vatamaniuck said.

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