RCMP cracking down on distracted driving for Valentine’s Day
Posted February 14, 2013 7:19 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
COQUITLAM (NEWS1130) – Mounties are celebrating Valentine’s Day by handing out $167 tickets instead of cards and flowers this year.
It’s part of a month-long campaign aimed at cracking down on distracted drivers.
Corporal Robert McDonald says it’s a serious issue, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have some fun with it.
“We’ll be doing a blitz at the intersection of Lougheed Highway and Westwood [in Coquitlam] and we’ll have a four-foot sign shaped like a big red heart,” he describes.
The sign reads: “If you love her, tell her, don’t text her.”
“This being a day where people will most likely call each other to make dates or appointments for dinners, there’s a chance they might be more distracted while they’re driving today,” says McDonald.
“We just want to make sure that people know that even though there might be a distraction, [they should still] concentrate on their driving.”
The RCMP says about a third of the deadly crashes in this province involve drivers who are distracted by their cell phones or other handheld devices.
