Alberta police chiefs asking for demerits for distracted drivers

Police chiefs in Alberta are hoping to crack down on distracted drivers in our province.

The Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police has put forth a resolution to the government, requesting that demerits be added to tickets for distracted driving.

“The resolution was brought forward by a couple of the other chiefs and it was unanimously endorsed that we ask the government to look at demerits for distracted driving,” Edmonton Police Chief Rod Knecht said in a year-end interview Friday.

The distracted driving law was introduced in Alberta in September 2011. Knecht says motorists paid attention to the law for a few weeks after it came into effect but, it didn’t take long for many drivers to return to their distracted ways.

“You can stop at any light in the city here and look around and somebody is texting or talking on the phone. So, people were disciplined for a couple, three weeks and we’re right back at it.”

A ticket for an infraction comes along with a $172 fine. Knecht says tickets alone simply aren’t working as a penalty for those who still choose to drive while distracted.

“Nothing is working right now and our guys can write tickets ’til the cows come home, quite frankly,” Knecht explained, “Obviously, if all you’re doing is every once in a while paying for a ticket, that doesn’t have much impact.”

The association believes if drivers have the possibility of getting demerits or losing their licence, they’ll be more likely to obey the law.