Vancouver Police have handed out close to 2,000 tickets for distracted driving in one month.
The tickets were issued during the month of September, when police launched the Provincial Distracted Driving campaign aimed to crack down on that behaviour.
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“The high number of tickets written during the campaign proves distracted driving is still a problem on Vancouver roads,” read a statement from police.
“Distracted driving has shown to be one of the leading contributing factors of traffic fatalities in B.C. – even surpassing impaired driving.”
WATCH: B.C.’s higher distracted driving penalties now in effect
Police say they’ve heard all types of excuses from people, including a man who justified his actions because he was watching his financial video from his website.
Another woman thought it would be OK to have her cell phone on her lap while she ate her lunch, said police.
The fine for using distracted driving is $543, “but that cost is nothing compared to the cost of losing a loved one. It’s time to take a break from your phone,” said Sgt. Jason Robillard in the release.