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NEWS: David Foster Harbour pathway to be pedestrian only /A4 ARTS: Author pens story of healing from childhood abuse /A6 SPORTS: Playing for Shamrocks ‘a dream come true’ /A15
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Police optimistic about higher fines for distracted driving Pamela Roth Victoria News
Cruising around in an unmarked Victoria police car, Const. Matthew Rutherford sees drivers looking at their cell phones behind the wheel on a daily basis. It’s a sight that often makes him angry given the extensive public awareness campaigns that have taken place throughout the years to educate drivers about the dangers of looking at their cell phone while driving — an act that’s become one of the major causes of crashes in B.C. But now that the province is planning to hand out stiffer penalties for distracted driving — with the cost for a first offence pegged at $543 — Rutherford is optimistic drivers will start changing their behaviour behind the wheel. “Five-hundred dollars is a big hit to the pocket,” said Rutherford, noting officers see a lot of repeat offenders. “We’re out there, we’re enforcing it and if you’re going to still use your phone on a regular basis, you will eventually be caught.” Earlier this week, B.C. Solicitor General Mike Morris announced that effective June 1, the fine for distracted driving will go up from $167 to $368. Drivers will also be assessed four penalty points, triggering another $175 that will be added to their insurance premiums. The same driver who commits a second offence within 12 months will face a total penalty of $888. A third offence would cost more than $3,000. Two tickets a year will also trigger an automatic review by the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles that could result in a licence suspension. The move to increase fines comes after public consultation during the past year found support for a tougher approach. PlEASE SEE: New penalties will cost more than $500, Page A3
Pamela Roth/Victoria News
Douglas Street makeover Pedestrians make their way across a newly painted crosswalk at the intersection of Douglas and Yates streets. The art is part of a new pilot poject called stART on Douglas, which is aimed at enhancing one of downtown’s busiest intersections.
Naturalized playground gets students moving Kendra Wong Victoria News
In 2011, Kathie Cross noticed a troubling trend at Central Middle School. Instead of playing in the playground or on the basketball court during recess and lunch, kids would line up outside Cross and other counsellors’ offices. As many as 20 students would have lined up if she let them, Cross added,
and she began to wonder, why? At the time, the school’s play area consisted of a traditional playground with bars and slides, a basketball court and a field. After moving her office from the back of the school to the front, where she had a continuous view of the play area, Cross quickly realized there wasn’t enough play space for the roughly 540 students at the school. “If you weren’t a basketball star and didn’t get to the playground before the
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other 540 kids, you really had no place to go and so a lot of kids would be really anxious and really stressed out during our break time because they didn’t know where they belonged,” Cross said. “For a lot of the kids out there, this break time was not a fun way to spend time. Kids were trying to find ways to escape break time.”
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