The Government of British Columbia recently launched a survey to understand what it should do about those caught using their mobile device while driving. The province banned the use of handheld devices while driving in 2010 and the fines are $167 and three demerit points, which is one of the lowest in the country.
The survey started on June 16th and will go until July 16th. Now at the halfway point, Justice Minister Suzanne Anton stated thousands of B.C. residents have submitted their thoughts and over 90 per cent want stronger penalties, specifically with the amount of a driver must pay when they have been disobeying the law.
“British Columbians are also telling us they want to see tougher escalating penalties for repeat offenders, because right now some people see the $167 ticket as the cost of doing business,” Anton said Tuesday. “We need to stop that.”
Anton did note that changes will be implemented within a year, but the fines will not be as high as where Ontario is at with a $1,000 fine.
[source]British Columbia [/source][via] Cowichan Valley Citizen [/via]
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