Oceanside Community Safety volunteers conducted six distracted driving awareness checkpoints on March 17.
The volunteers recorded 31 distracted drivers, including nine on their cell phones, out of 2,852 vehicles encountered. Oceanside Community Safety members spent about one hour at locations in Coombs, Dashwood, Errington, Nanoose Bay and Parksville.
The checkpoints were part of Distracted Driving Awareness Month in British Columbia.
Distracted driving includes any activity that takes a driver’s attention off the road, including eating or drinking, chatting with passengers, using a cell phone and adjusting the radio or vehicle settings, according to ICBC.
Distracted drivers can receive a ticket for $368 and four penalty points to their driving record.
Summary:
Coombs – 933 vehicles, 1 cell phone, 14 other distractions, 11 positive interactions
Dashwood – 435 vehicles, 3 cell phone
Errington – 432 vehicles, 0 cell phones, 6 other distractions, 33 positive interactions
Nanoose Bay – 236 vehicles, 1 cell phone, 2 other distractions, 3 positive interactions
Parksville – 816 vehicles, 4 cell phones, 0 other distractions, 1 positive interaction
