VicPD issues 74 distracted driving tickets in September sting

More than 70 distracted Victoria drivers went home with tickets in September thanks to a month-long VicPD sting that had plainclothes officers targeting violators at high-collision intersections.

READ ALSO: What exactly counts as distracted driving in B.C.?

The Minister of Public Safety, Solicitor general and ICBC provided support to police departments for concentrated distracted driving enforcement last month. According to an ICBC media release from 2017, distracted driving kills an average of 78 British Columbians annually – even more than the average number killed by impaired driving, which kills 66 people per year.

VicPD officers wrote 74 distracted driving tickets to motorists using electronic devices behind the wheel, one ticket for emailing/texting while driving, two tickets for using an electronic device while driving in violation of a driver’s licence restriction, six violation tickets and three written warnings.

READ ALSO: Saanich police penalize 72-year-old for ‘too many’ distracted driving infractions

Traffic officers in plain clothes took to high-collision intersections and roadways once a week, seeking out distracted drivers and receiving backup from officers in uniform, who pulled over the drivers and issued the tickets.