Distracted much? Vancouverite with three phones, laptop drives into oncoming traffic
Three cell phones and a laptop in arms reach of a local driver may have been the reason they were distracted enough to drive into oncoming traffic, Vancouver Police suggest.
In a tweet, VPD explain that the driver drove around a road closed sign near Cambie and Dunsmuir streets, into oncoming traffic and even passed by a police vehicle with its emergency lights on.
The department’s traffic department attached a photo to the tweet of the four devices in the centre console and the passenger seat.
“Do you think any of their electronic devices played a role in their distraction?” the tweet reads.
This driver drove around the road closed sign, into oncoming traffic and passed the police vehicle with their emergency lights on. Do you think any of their electronic devices played a role in their distraction? How many can you count? @icbc @RoadSafetyHarv pic.twitter.com/sCqi3ac1Ym
— VPD Traffic Section (@VPDTrafficUnit) August 30, 2022
VPD say the driver was issued a $368 ticket for using an electronic device while driving and $121 ticket for disobeying a traffic control device.
On Tuesday, ICBC also shared a new Ipsos survey that revealed more drivers in the province are using their phones to talk or text when they’re behind the wheel.
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Since 2019, the number of drivers surveyed who admitted to using their phones at least once every ten trips rose by 33%.
“This is despite 73% of respondents who think it’s likely they could be caught by police if holding or handling an electronic device while driving,” ICBC said in a statement.
More B.C. drivers are using their phones while behind the wheel — making them 5 times more likely to crash. That’s why this month, ICBC and police are urging drivers to #LeaveYourPhoneAlone while driving.
Find out more: https://t.co/YTPCoVCwTD #EyesFwdBC pic.twitter.com/UPflTFJj8R
— ICBC (@icbc) August 30, 2022
Each year distracted drivers lead to over one in four fatal crashes and claim 76 British Columbians’ lives each year, ICBC said.
“Using electronic devices, like smartphones, is one of the most common and riskiest forms of distracted driving and increases your crash risk by five times,” the insurance company says. “In fact, any activity that reduces your ability to focus on the road or control your vehicle puts yourself and other road users’ safety at risk.”