One year later, many Albertans are still driving dangerously distracted

September 1st marks one year since Alberta’s distracted driving legislation came into effect, but officers say a lot of drivers are still not getting the message.

“I’m still amazed at how many people are using their phones or answering their phones while operating motor vehicles,” says RCMP Corporal Alex Da Silva.

Global News was given the exclusive opportunity to ride along with an RCMP officer as he patrolled the QEII south of Edmonton and pulled over distracted drivers.

RCMP officers say they’ve seen people do everything from applying makeup, texting and emailing on electronic devices, to eating while behind the wheel.

“A few months ago, I had a girl go by with her iPad propped up on the dash so she could watch a movie,” shares Corporal Darrin Turnbull with the RCMP. “She was going 140 kilometres an hour in heavy traffic while she was doing that.”

“It took me quite a while for me to get her to pull over,” he adds. “She didn’t see the lights or hear the siren.” 
 

Between September 1, 2011 and July 31, 2012, the Alberta RCMP Integrated Traffic Unit laid more than 2,400 distracted driving charges. That number does not include the thousands of tickets issued by general duty RCMP members or city police officers.

Over the 2 ½ hour period Global spent with Corporal Turnbull and Corporal Da Silva, they pulled over half a dozen drivers.

Corporal Turnbull says Albertans were following the rules closely when the legislation first came out, but now, many are complacent and willing to take more risks.

“I’m pretty much staring at them for, like, ten seconds and watching,” explains Corporal Da Silva, “and when they finally realize who I am; you can read their lips when they get caught.”

During the ride-along, Corporal Turnbull pulls over a woman he sees reading a text while driving down the QEII at about 110 kilometres an hour, with three children in the back of the vehicle.

“Do you know why I pulled you over?” he asks her. She thinks she was flagged down because she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

“No, I didn’t notice you weren’t wearing a seatbelt, but thank you for being honest,” Turnbull replies. “You were texting, with your phone down, and you were looking down. You were weaving, I thought you were an impaired driver,” he adds.

Turnbull writes up a $172 ticket for the driver.

“I am going to give you the distracted driving ticket. It is a big concern.”

During the ride-along, Turnbull also spots a man driving with knees and texting with both hands.

“I usually don’t do that, I swear,” says the driver when he’s pulled over, to which Turbull replied, “Two hands! Driving with your knees!”

One year later, officers say drivers haven’t changed their bad driving habits. They say cell phone use is the most common offence; people texting and talking while on the road, even at high rates of speed.

“We’ve done, in classrooms of teenagers, timed them, on average, for an average text message, whether that be on an iPhone or Blackberry, whatever they’re using, and on average, they’re going about eight seconds to send a text,” says Turnbull. “In eight seconds, you’re going to travel two and a half football fields with your head down.”

“That’s an extreme amount of distance to be driving blind.”

When caught in the act, most drivers admit they know distracted driving is illegal.

“They just say: oh, it was one quick phone call, sorry, I had one quick text I had to send, it was my work, it was my mom.”

“Tragically, those are the same people involved in crashes,” explains Turnbull, “and the text you sent to your mom could be the last text you send, ever.”

– With files from Laurel Clark