Vancouver cops catch distracted driver twice in 8 minutes, issue $736 in fines

A $368 ticket clearly wasn’t enough to teach a distracted driver a lesson about using an electronic device at the wheel.

The very same driver was issued a second $368 ticket only minutes later for the very same offence.

The Vancouver Police Department’s traffic unit tweeted on Wednesday night that a driver was ticketed twice within eight minutes, six blocks apart, on Wednesday.

The first incident happened at 2500 Granville Street, near the intersection with West Broadway. The car was a grey Hyundai Accent that was rented from Avis Car Rental for $79, according to police.

The second incident happened at 3100 Granville Street, where the driver was issued a second ticket.

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The driver ultimately faced fines of $736 and a deduction of eight points. VPD Sgt. Jason Robillard said the driver was from the U.S. and he was advised about the city’s distracted driving rules during the first stop and was issued a second ticket moments later.

READ MORE: NDP asks ICBC to look at high-tech solutions to distracted driving

In Vancouver in 2015, there was $6 million dollars in outstanding parking and traffic bylaw fines. That money could go into general revenue for services the city like increased garbage collection, policing, or firefigthing.

Of the 362,216 tickets issued in 2015, more than 86 per cent have been paid but nearly 48,000 remain outstanding and the fines add up to more than $6 million dollars.

Coverage of distracted driving on Globalnews.ca:

1:42 Driving and texting app could prevent distracted driving deaths

• Driving and texting app could prevent distracted driving deaths
• Is this the solution to distracted driving?
• B.C. judge rules even looking at your phone is distracted driving
• Distracted driving numbers up in Saskatchewan
• The politics of distracted driving across Canada

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These recent incidents came just over a month after B.C. Attorney General David Eby said he wants to see ICBC use technology that could help to crack down on distracted driving.

That could include tools that would lock a driver’s cellphone, as well as emergency braking.

~ with files from Kristen Robinson