Distracted driving continues to be a dangerous problem in Edmonton, but a woman from Rocky Mountain House who almost lost her life after texting and driving is on a mission to change that.
“I thought to myself… ‘I’m going to be late for work. Why don’t I text my boss?'” said Melody Battle, founder of Battle Against Distracted Driving.
Seconds after picking up the phone, tragedy struck.
“I didn’t see the road grader that was right in front of me. So, when I hit the road grader, I slid right in front of it,” she said.
The collision nearly took her life.
“I lost sight in my right eye, I spent a year in the hospital, in three different hospitals,” said Battle.
“Melody ended up being flown by STARS air ambulance up to the U of A Hospital here in Edmonton and spent years and years trying to recover from her injuries, including a traumatic brain injury,” said RCMP Sgt. Darrin Turnbull.
Battle wanted to help others and created Battle Against Distracted Driving (BADD) and finding support wasn’t that tough.
The education is much-needed, RCMP say.
Recent provincial data shows that over the last five years, distracted driving convictions in Edmonton are up 42 per cent.
“It’s important that the driver of the vehicle, whoever that is, if they do hear the text message… resist the temptation to check it,” said Turnbull.
The road safety forum was put on by multiple organizations at the Edmonton Expo Centre and was also held last year.
The penalty for distracted driving in Alberta is a $287 fine and three demerit points.