Distracted-driving penalty numbers show many ‘aren’t getting it,’ MPI says

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This article was published 05/12/2018 (2815 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More than 230 Manitobans have been ticketed for distracted driving since increased penalties were put in place last month, leaving MPI to believe many still aren’t paying attention.

Manitoba Public Insurance reported Wednesday that since Nov. 1, some 237 drivers in the province have had their licences suspended for a minimum of three days.

“It’s disappointing to see that people are still using their smartphones while driving, whether texting or talking,” MPI spokesman Brian Smiley said. “Clearly, the drivers aren’t getting it — and that’s reflected in the fact that last year alone there were 15,000 collisions as a direct result of distracted driving and there were 30 fatalities… because of distracted driving.”

Under the new provincial law, drivers convicted of distracted driving will also be slapped with a $672 fine and five demerits on the MPI driver safety rating scale, which measures the cost of a driver’s licence depending on the driver’s record. Based on that record, a licence can cost as little as $15 per year with full merits, or $3,000 per year for full demerits.

“We know that there has to be deterrent in place,” said Smiley. “High-risk driving behaviour will only change based on a number of things; education, awareness, and law enforcement.”

MPI reported Winnipeg police had slapped 149 drivers with the new penalty in November (a number later updated by police to 153), RCMP had caught 67 drivers on their phones, and Brandon police had flagged 21 offences.

The provincial number may actually be larger, according to Smiley, as MPI only gets reports from the RCMP, Winnipeg and Brandon police and does not factor in suspensions from other agencies.

“This is something that, I think, is going to take time to change. This is government trying to speed up a cultural change because we’ve become so accustomed to being attached to our cellphones and being in communications, that people need to change that habit and that takes time,” said Insp. Gord Spado of the Winnipeg Police Service traffic division.

“I know jurisdictions across the country are getting tougher and tougher on distracted driving because it’s a conscious choice to not pay attention to your driving.”

In a written comment applauding the policing agencies for their enforcement, Canadian automotive services federation CAA said the numbers clearly show drivers believe using a phone while driving is a “harmless habit,” and not a potentially deadly choice.

While advocates push for a culture change, perhaps it is already underway: according to Winnipeg police, the 153 distracted-driving offences it recorded last month is down from the 183 logged in November 2017.

danton.unger@freepress.mb.ca