Distracted driving blitz nets 20 tickets in 2 hours, say Kelowna RCMP

In a two-hour span, outside a school zone this week, Kelowna RCMP say they issued 20 distracted driving tickets.

Police say the distracted driving blitz happened on Thursday, beside Raymer Elementary School.

That amounted to a ticket being issued every six minutes, said RCMP, adding 10 other drivers managed to avoid being fined because officers were unable to keep up.

“Considering this location was inside a school zone and the roads being icy, these numbers are very concerning to all us,” said Const. Mike Della-Paolera.

Police say every distracted driving ticket comes with a $368 fine plus four driver penalty points.

“This could result in a further penalty. If a driver has four or more points at the end of 12 months that person will pay a driver penalty point premium,” said RCMP.

3:34 Ask an Expert: distracted driving

According to ICBC, on average, 76 people die yearly in crashes where distracted driving is a contributing factor.

Further, distracted driving accounts for 27 per cent of all fatal vehicle crashes in B.C.

Since 2010, it has been illegal for drivers to use a handheld device, including while stopped at a red light or a stop sign.

ICBC says studies show that when drivers use a handheld device, their visual attention is reduced by about half, and drivers are five times more likely to crash when they’re on the phone.

3:13 Traffic Tips: The dangers of distracted driving