Police distracted driving blitz nets high number of infractions
By Nelson Daily Staff
Integrated Road Safety Unit and West Kootenay Traffic of the RCMP had a busy day Tuesday, issuing more than 50 tickets as police increased enforcement in and around the Nelson area.
Sergeant Chad Badry of the West Kootenay Traffic and Integrated Road Safety Unit said in a media release the high number of tickets were written in relation to vehicles stopped for the driver’s using cell phones while driving in the Nelson area.
“Distracted driving remains one of the top three causes of crashes in our area and in British Columbia,” Badry said. “People just don’t seem to understand that you cannot have your cell phone in your hand while driving.”
“One driver was observed holding his cell phone in front of his face, talking on speaker phone, and seemed to think it was okay,” Badry added.
Costly Vehicle Stop Prevents Fire
In another incident Tuesday, while officers were following a vehicle on Highway 3A near 8-Mile on the North shore of Nelson, the passenger was observed flicking a lit cigarette out the window.
“Police saw sparks in the air before the cigarette landed in tall grass,” Badry said. Fortunately, the grass did not light on fire.”
Badry said the Surrey woman received a violation ticket for $575 while the driver of the vehicle received a ticket for not having vehicle insurance and speeding and the vehicle was then towed.
“In the current dry environment with a Province-wide state of emergency declared, we are flabbergasted that someone could be so careless,” he said.
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