B.C. government announces stiffer penalties for distracted driving

[Gumby]

i believe police receive special training to drive while operating their gear. Can anyone substantiate this claim?

[Gumby]

Originally Posted by pinn3r

a buddy of mine got ticketed while we were just sitting in his car chatting, with keys in the ignition, everything off. He had his L at the time, so the officers ticketed him for the possibility of driving without an N. Officer told us to take the keys out of the ignition next time

you'll probably have to read through the BC's Motor Vehicle Act to ascertain

That is ridiculous! The officer should've used his discretion and given a warning in those case...

[pinn3r]

Originally Posted by Gumby

i believe police receive special training to drive while operating their gear. Can anyone substantiate this claim?

special training or not, they're still fallible human beings
but i would imagine they're a helluva lot more adroit than the average joe with a cellphone

Originally Posted by Gumby

That is ridiculous! The officer should've used his discretion and given a warning in those case...

he thought we were dealing drugs on the block... and we were being respectful too. guess he just felt like being a dick that day LOL

[Acura604]

I really dont think we will see a change in the behaviour... its almost like 1 out of 5 drivers are chatting it up in plain sight.

the other day, saw a 'N' driver... cigarette in left hand, phone in right... barely steering the wheel... on alex fraser bridge.

[aalex]

Originally Posted by Gumby

i believe police receive special training to drive while operating their gear. Can anyone substantiate this claim?

i m starting my SPECIAL lesson for driving while talking and texting on phone next month.
you will receive a certificate showing you are safe to drive while using any electronic device.

[meme405]

Originally Posted by aalex

i m starting my SPECIAL lesson for driving while talking and texting on phone next month.
you will receive a certificate showing you are safe to drive while using any electronic device.

If police can receive this type of training, and be certified, why can't civilians have that same right?

I would gladly pay a couple hundred bucks and take a course in order to be able to utilize my phone while driving. I drive 45 000+km a year from job site to job site, a lot of my work happens on the run. It's almost imperative to my business that I be able to maintain communication at all times.

[nma]

Originally Posted by kross9

don't mind me shaving, changing shirts and a having a full meal all while driving... and still not be considered distracted driving...

Like Meme has said, they mostly target people who are stationary at a red light not driving along.

I plugged in my phone to charge and left it on the seat. At a stop light I grabbed my phone to see how much it charged and put it back down. Literally picked it up, pressed the power button, and dropped it. Cop jumped out of the bushes and wrote me a ticket.. LOL

It was literally just a dumb habit, I didn't even need to use my phone. My car has bluetooth. The cop didn't care though...

[Mr.HappySilp]

what about bluetooth headset? In order to take a call I need to press the talk button on it. So will I get ticket by pressing the talk button even though I am using a standard hands free bluetooth headset?

What about using the "OK google" ask ask for something on my smartphone will I get a ticket? Say I use my phone " Ok google when is the next Cancuks game?" then the phone shows me the detail and I glance over it. Will I get a ticket? I am not touching my phone at all but I am sure not paying attention to the road as well.

[BoostedBB6]

"Special Training", what a joke.
Being told "Don't do this while driving, look up this often, try not to do this in this situation"

You cant train someone's attention so to say they have received training on how to do this is a complete joke. They are human, no different than you or I.

[Nightwalker]

There was a high profile death in December, a cyclist being run down by a txting police officer.

"Police Officer Will Not Be Charged For Killing Napster Exec While Texting And Driving — Because It's Apparently OK For Police To Do That"

Read more: Police Officer Will Not Be Charged In Killing Of Napster Executive - Business Insider

[Godzira]

Dubai doesn't have this law..

[murd0c]

You think a cops going to fuck with a guy that has a cheetah next to him? Buy a cheetah problem solved

[Yodamaster]

Originally Posted by meme405

Greaaaattttt.

More tickets for people at red lights who are texting, because the fear of a spontaneously exploding vehicle is real...

Meanwhile those on the highway will continue to get away with it, and cause accidents and kill people, cause police can't (or won't try) to adequately enforce the real intent of the law...

EDIT: Seriously 51,000 tickets written last year for distracted driving. I would like to know how many of these occurred at red lights, or stop signs.

You shouldn't be on your phone when you are driving, period. Sitting at a light with your car running still constitutes driving, and too many people sit at red lights because they can't just fucking drive. If you really need to answer that text, pull over and park, if I can do it, you can too.

[Godzira]

Originally Posted by murd0c

You think a cops going to fuck with a guy that has a cheetah next to him? Buy a cheetah problem solved

anyone in for a group cheetah buy?

[Nlkko]

Originally Posted by meme405

If police can receive this type of training, and be certified, why can't civilians have that same right?

I would gladly pay a couple hundred bucks and take a course in order to be able to utilize my phone while driving. I drive 45 000+km a year from job site to job site, a lot of my work happens on the run. It's almost imperative to my business that I be able to maintain communication at all times.

Because the universe doesn't revolve around you.

[westopher]

Originally Posted by murd0c

You think a cops going to fuck with a guy that has a cheetah next to him? Buy a cheetah problem solved

Pretty sure they'd just shoot the cheetah long before a threat poses itself like they do with any dog larger than a pomeranian.

[Hondaracer]

Originally Posted by Yodamaster

You shouldn't be on your phone when you are driving, period. Sitting at a light with your car running still constitutes driving, and too many people sit at red lights because they can't just fucking drive. If you really need to answer that text, pull over and park, if I can do it, you can too.

Exactly. They want a zero tollerace policy. This isnt specifically targeting all the super heros in this thread who think they can text and drive safely, they make a sweeping law to get the 16 year old girl texting her friend who drives head on into a family off the road.

Also the argument that they only bust people at red lights doesn't really ring true for me, as every time I've seen them at intersections tyoiclly they are on the far side of the crossing. So busting people who continue to use their devices through the intersection.

As well, a buddy of mine has been pulled over twice on the freeway. First time he was simply resting his arm/hand on the side of his head and the cop thought he had a phone. Managed to argue his way out of that one but the second time was a legit ticket lol. So getting pulled on the freeway does happen

[Noir]

I honestly don't see what the fuss is about. If you can't safely operate a vehicle while simultaneously pressing/toggling/switching a button or dial, whether they be a hand held device or a built-in-car controls, you probably suck as a driver.

Accidents happen because you suck at driving, not because your one hand was on a cellphone.

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

Originally Posted by meme405

If police can receive this type of training, and be certified, why can't civilians have that same right?

you answered your own question, civilian.

hence the segregation of civilians, from authority and other special class of people.

if you had the same right, then you wouldn't be a civilian.

[tiger_handheld]

I wish some resident RCMP's comment on this thread...or any other officer that visits these forms.

Is there something we can write to whoever comes up with these laws? Like checking your phone while your car is not in motion should be ok but it will decrease revenue OR ban eating, drinking, smoking, tuning the radio, talking with passengers altogether because they are also distracting.

I mean, whats more distracting, talking on a cell phone while driving or trying to comfort a crying baby in the back seat while driving? Where do you think the parents attention is?

There are so many holes you can poke at this, I hope everyone disputes these and clogs up the judicial system if the ticket was given in an idiotic circumstance such as when the vehicle is not in motion.

Edit: There are a lot of cops that stand at the intersection by my work and use our parking lot as a hide out spot. I'm going to talk to them when I see them next.. will report back

[twitchyzero]

good thing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is market-bound....please pile on the fails because I go nuts sitting in peak hour bridge traffic but you never know cause that might still cause a fatal accident!!!

[Hondaracer]

one thing that kinda pisses me off is that i cant really use my decks remote anymore, as it looks like a phone in my hand

obviously my one hand free hitting "next" on my remote never once taking my eyes off the road is safer than looking at my deck for a menu/button..

wonder if that would hold up in court

[meme405]

Originally Posted by tiger_handheld

I mean, whats more distracting, talking on a cell phone while driving or trying to comfort a crying baby in the back seat while driving? Where do you think the parents attention is?

There are so many holes you can poke at this, I hope everyone disputes these and clogs up the judicial system if the ticket was given in an idiotic circumstance such as when the vehicle is not in motion.

I think the baby crying in the back is a tame example, how about the fuckers who drive with a god damn rottweiler in their lap.

[CL typeS]

all this talk about "special training" brings up the topic at my apartment building. The strata says we are not allowed to walk through the parkade gates at any given time or we could get fined.

I see our building manager walking through the gate all the time and one day I asked him how come he gets to do it, and he said "well, I had to go through special training..."

...wtf? Like training to safely walk through gates?

[Yodamaster]

Originally Posted by Noir

I honestly don't see what the fuss is about. If you can't safely operate a vehicle while simultaneously pressing/toggling/switching a button or dial, whether they be a hand held device or a built-in-car controls, you probably suck as a driver.

Accidents happen because you suck at driving, not because your one hand was on a cellphone.

What!?

Buttons in cars are designed to be easy to use without looking at them, you aren't thinking of what you're going to say to your girlfriend next, you're just adjusting the radio. Most people function just fine while operating a vehicle and using the factory installed knobs and switches, because they are designed to require little to no thought, you are supposed to be able to operate them without taking your eyes away from the road.

Not to mention that you have to actually look at your phone's screen to actually know whether what you are typing is coming out correctly or not, which means in most cases you aren't looking at the road.

Honestly that has to be the most idiotic response in this thread, just because you've gotten away with it does not mean that you are somehow more capable. Your mentality is skewed, it's like boasting that you haven't died from radiation poisoning yet when you're swimming in radioactive waste. In reality, you should be getting out of the waste, but you seem to take pride in how long you've lasted in utter shit.