Alberta government strengthens penalties for distracted driving

Alberta’s Ministry of Transportation announced on Thursday that effective Jan. 1, 2016, distracted driving convictions will include three demerit points as well as the current $287 fine.

Any driver charged with distracted driving before Jan. 1 will not be assigned demerit points, even if the $287 fine is paid in the new year, the ministry added in a statement. The law restricts drivers from: using hand-held cell phones; texting or emailing (even when stopped at red lights); using electronic devices like laptops, video games, cameras, video entertainment displays and programming portable audio players (e.g. MP3 players); entering information on GPS units; reading printed materials in the vehicle; writing, printing or sketching; and personal grooming (such as brushing and flossing teeth, putting on makeup, curling hair, clipping nails or shaving).

“Drivers engaged in any of the identified activities can be charged, even if their driving performance doesn’t appear to be affected,” said background information from the ministry. Should a driver receive too many demerit points, their driver’s licence is suspended. Drivers in the Graduated Driver Licensing Program are suspended when they collect eight or more points. Fully licensed drivers are suspended when they collect 15 or more points.

Brian Mason, Alberta’s Minister of Transportation, said in the statement that there were more than 87,000 convictions for distracted driving from September 2011 to March 2015 and “despite our best efforts, distracted driving remains a real danger, with convictions increasing year over year.” Furthermore, research indicates that driver distractions contribute to 20 to 30 per cent of all collisions and distracted drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a collision than attentive drivers.

Since Sept. 1, 2011, when distracted driving legislation was introduced in the province, through March 31, 2015, there have been 87,633 convictions, the statement noted. The trend has been an increased number of convictions, with more than 27,000 between April 2014 and March 31, 2015. Ninety-seven per cent of these convictions were for using a hand-held electronic device while driving.

The ministry also reported that during 2014-15, male drivers accounted for two-thirds of all convictions, with young male drivers (aged 22 to 34) having the highest conviction rates.