Burnaby drivers came in second only to Surrey last month during a push to ticket distracted drivers in the Lower Mainland.
"February was dedicated to spending a little bit more time, when possible, doing distracted driving," said Sgt. Dave Bell of the Burnaby RCMP traffic services unit.
Bell's unit brought in more than 460 violations. In a population of more than 227,000 people, 464 distracted driving tickets may seem like a small number, but it does mean that there are some people out there still not following the new legislation - legislation that could save their life, according to Bell.
But that's nothing new. Much like impaired driving and even seatbelts, it's going to take time to educate people that this new legislation is for their own good, Bell said.
"It's a new technology that people have become accustomed to using, but they don't necessarily equate it with being dangerous," he said.
Proving a cellphone is the cause of a car accident is difficult because police can't seize the devices as evidence at a scene unless there are reasonable grounds or evidence, Bell said.
"There's no provision in law for us to seize a cellphone as evidence and search for text messages that may have been sent or received at the time of the accident," he said.
While police may never be able to seize electronic devices, the B.C. Chiefs of Police Association came out last week calling for legislation that would see distracted drivers' cellphones taken away as a deterrent against re-offending.
This idea was quickly shot down by politicians Monday, which leaves offenders simply paying out the fines for distracted driving tickets; fines Bell thinks are good enough.
Every distracted driver found guilty is subject to a $167 fine, and this fine doesn't increase with added offences, he said.
While the February blitz shone a light on distracted driving, it's still an issue during the rest of the year. Bell and his unit have noticed some trends in the Burnaby area.
"School zones can be a problem," he said. "And the malls."
These two areas are problematic because drivers are distracted, either late dropping kids off or coming out of shopping centres and rather than stopping and using their devices, they're using them while they drive to save time. This can be a major problem because both areas have high pedestrian volume, Bell said.
Bell thinks that while it's troubling so many drivers are continuing this habit, it's reasonable to say it'll take some time before people finally understand it's a danger to themselves, other drivers and pedestrians.
"Are we going in the proper direction? I think we are, and I think increased enforcement, increased public education and increased awareness are all factors that play a part in reducing the use of cell-phones," Bell said.
