This may just be a world record, and a costly one at that.
On September 20, Vancouver Constable Prab Brar pulled a driver over for using a cell phone at the busy intersection of Granville Street and West Broadway in Vancouver, British Columbia—the fine was $368 (Canadian).
Just 6 blocks and 8 minutes later, the same man (who has not been identified in media reports) was stopped again for the same reason, this time by a different officer.
“When I pulled him over, the first words out of his mouth were, ‘I just got a ticket for this,’” said Sergeant Mark Christensen.
After an additional $368 ticket and 8 more demerit points, the man reportedly proclaimed he would not set foot in Vancouver again. However, committing at least two serious violations in the province results in an automatic driving record review and possible license suspension—so he may, in fact, find himself in a Vancouver courtroom.
For those who frequent British Columbia, the law prohibits driving while using any handheld device, and police in the area are making sure drivers understand.
“Cell phone $0… Rental Car $79… Getting caught by #VPD #distracteddriving TWICE within 8min & 6 blocks = EXPENSIVE (& Dangerous!)” read a Vancouver Police Department tweet sent later that day.
Two tickets in less than 10 minutes does seem ridiculous; however, driving while using a cell phone (or any other distracting behavior) has become a serious issue for drivers recently. So serious that, on average, 9 people die every day in the United States as a result of crashes involving a distracted driver. Similarly, in Canada, distracted driving is the third-leading cause of death for young drivers.
Despite these statistics, every day there are an estimated 660,000 drivers handling their cell phones while driving. To bring these numbers down, and to remind yourself and loved ones about distracted driving, take the pledge to end it.
