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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

New police crackdown on distracted motorists

By: Gabrielle Giroday

Posted: 02/7/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The RCMP, Winnipeg Police Service and Manitoba Public Insurance have teamed up to drive home the message about the dangers of distracted driving.

IF you're still texting or talking on your cellphone while you drive, you do so at the risk of receiving a hefty ticket.

Officers from the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) and RCMP launched a campaign Monday designed to cut down on distracted driving, such as texting or talking on cellphones.

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People who are caught doing so will receive tickets for $199.80. That law has been on the books in Manitoba for nearly 18 months.

The campaign will receive $120,000 worth of funding from Manitoba Public Insurance for officers to crack down on those they see flouting the law and ticket them.

"Everybody knows it's a hazard on the road," said Sgt. Rob Riffel of the Winnipeg Police Service central traffic unit.

He said deaths or serious injuries caused by distracted driving are "tragic" and "senseless."

"To have to explain to someone that it could have been prevented, it's terrible to do, it's terrible for them to hear," Riffel said.

The funding will be split between the WPS, the RCMP and the Brandon Police Service.

Police haven't indicated exactly where the beefed-up enforcement will be located, but Cpl. Miles Hiebert of the RCMP said there will be "roving patrols throughout the province."

In 2010, there were changes to the Highway Traffic Act that said: "No person shall use a hand-operated electronic device while driving a vehicle on a highway" unless the person takes the vehicle off the road and stops, or uses a hands-free device.

Police in the city have handed out nearly 5,000 tickets for illicitly using devices since July 15, 2010.

According to MPI, a "texting driver is 23 times more likely to get into a collision than a non-texting driver."

"The results are similar to a drinking driver by using the texting," said Ted Hlynsky, vice-president of claims control and safety operations at MPI.

A poll by MPI of 800 Manitobans said when it comes to cellphone use, "younger adults are the least likely to rate this as a very serious problem compared with older adults."

The campaign does not target drivers who are using GPS systems in their vehicles.

"Unfortunately, GPS does not fall under the legislation for hand-held operated devices, so it's not something we can enforce," said Riffel. "Is it distracting? Possibly... "

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca

Habit's

deadly

toll

Crash deaths in the city of Winnipeg where distracted driving was a contributing factor:

2011: 1 of 12 deaths

2010: 3 of 17 deaths

2009: 1 of 10 deaths

2008: 1 of 13 deaths

2007: 2 of 24 deaths

-- Winnipeg Police Service

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 7, 2012 A4

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