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VOL. 102 NO. 71
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Focus on the road
New fines for distracted drivers AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter
“Chillingly, as mothers took children to and from school and people returned home from a hard days work, 201 people drove while distracted, putting the citizens of Quesnel in grave danger.”
introduced tough, immediate sanctions for drinking and driving, we’ve seen a dramatic decrease in alcohol-related traffic fatalities. By deploying tough new sanctions for distracted driving, we want to see our drivers, cyclists and pedestrians get home to their families safely as we take another step towards reaching our goal of having the safest roads in North America by 2020.”
If safety wasn’t motivation enough for keeping your focus on the road – maybe the new fines will. Effective June 1, distracted drivers are subject to the following: • Each offence will include the base fine of $368 – up from $167 – and will add four penalty points to a person’s driving record. • First-time offenders NBIA report will face a minimum $543 in financial penalties. Quick facts: • Repeat offenders, upon a second offence within 12 • ICBC Driver Penalty Point months, will pay the $368 fine premiums start at $175 for the plus $520, for a total of $888 in first four penalty points and financial penalties, which escalate escalate to a minimum $520 for a further for any additional offence. second offence. And the Gold Pan City is no • Distracted driving and exception in distracted driving inattention is a top contributing offences, a report released last factor to motor vehicle crashes, year by the Northern Brain Injury along with drug- or alcoholAssociation noted 201 distracted affected driving, and speeding. drivers in a mere six hours. • During ICBC’s Distracted “Chillingly, as mothers took Driving Awareness Month, a children to and from school police road safety unit in Kelowna and people returned home from handed out 37 distracted driving a hard days work, 201 people penalties in less than three hours. drove while distracted, putting • The latest numbers, from the citizens of Quesnel in grave 2014, show 66 deaths and 630 danger,” the report reads. serious injuries with distracted “That was potentially more than and inattentive driving as a 201 injuries or deaths… in just six contributing factor. Serious injury hours!” can mean loss of a limb, brain “Distracted driving, like drinking damage, coma and other lifeand driving, is entirely avoidable, altering medical conditions. yet too often has devastating • Over the past three years, consequences,” Minister of Public approximately 50,000 distracted Safety and Solicitor General Mike driving tickets have been issued Morris said. annually. “Since 2010, when we
Membership drive Check out Search and Rescue demonstrations and grab a snack while you’re at it, all proceeds towards a new highway truck. It all takes place Saturday at Spirit Square, demonstrations at 12 and 2 p.m. The event also includes a membership drive.
Soccer stars
Junior boys battle it out on the fields during Saturday soccer action.
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Autumn MacDonald photo
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