Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel—RCMP will be out in force this month cracking down on distracted drivers.
From Sept. 1-30 the West Kootenay Traffic Services and the Integrated Road Safety Unit will be patrolling West Kootenay roads and join a province-wide enforcement campaign to focus on unfocused drivers, as well as occupant restraint (seat belts).
That means the boys in blue will help you part with your hard earned cash if you choose to ignore a few of the rules of the road and instead operate above the law.
“Occupant restraints include the use of seat belts, child seats and having more passengers in a vehicle than the number of seat belts,” said RCMP Sgt. Derek Donovan.
The focus on the distracted drivers will be by the use of electronic distracting devices defined as a cell phone, or a hand-held electronic device capable of transmitting email or other text-based message.
Donovan said people caught using a cell phone, operating any one of its functions, communicating orally by means of the device with another person, will face a fine of $167.