Getting caught checking your phone behind the wheel in B.C. is about to get a lot more expensive
Attorney General David Eby announced Monday that the province will designate distracted driving 鈥渉igh-risk,鈥� meaning that two distracted driving tickets over three years could net drivers a $2,000 penalty in total.
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That鈥檚 an increase of $740 over the current penalty ($370 per ticket), and will sit on top of regular ICBC insurance premiums.
Currently, each distracted driving offence nets a fine of $368 and four penalty points. Those four penalty points add up to an additional fine of $175 under the penalty point system for .
However, those with multiple distracted driving tickets at the end of each year will pay more. While four penalty points add up to $175 in extra fees, eight points, or two distracted driving tickets, add up to $520.
Here's what drivers were already paying for distracted driving. $368 per offence + $175 for the 4 penalty points
鈥� Kat Slepian (@katslepian)
鈥淒istracted driving continues to put people in danger and significant pressure on insurance rates for all drivers,鈥� said Eby.
鈥淥nce implemented, this change will treat distracted driving as the serious high-risk behaviour that it is; one that is on par with impaired driving and excessive speeding.鈥�
Speaking with reporters in Victoria on Tuesday, Eby said he wasn鈥檛 ruling out further increases if today鈥檚 announcement failed to cut down on distracted driving offences.
says more measures may follow extra charge for 2nd distracted driving fine
鈥� Tom Fletcher (@tomfletcherbc)
The stiffer fines will result in $3-5 million in additional premiums collected by the province.
Higher penalties for distracted driving were recommended in an Ernst & Young report released earlier this year that looked at ICBC鈥檚 management and finances, and found that if nothing changed soon, rates rates could jump by as much as 30 per cent by 2019.
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Distracted driving is a factor in one-quarter of all car crash deaths in B.C., and kills an average of 78 people each year. About 12,000 drivers have more than one distracted driving ticket over a three-year period.
These latest penalties are separate from standard Autoplan insurance, so drivers will get a bill even if they don鈥檛 own a vehicle or have one insured.
They take effect March 1, 2018.
Here's what you could be paying for distracted driving, in comparison to other things:
鈥� Kat Slepian (@katslepian)
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