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Home destroyed A home was completely destroyed on West Fraser Road after fire erupted around 6 a.m., Thursday. The West Fraser Volunteer Fire Department responded to the blaze. Karen Powell photo
New laws crack down on distracted drivers AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter
Eyes on the road. New laws are cracking down on any use of an electronic device while driving. The province’s new distracted driving fines were official as of Monday and include three penalty points and a $167 fine for anyone caught using a handheld device.
The new penalty covers infractions such as “talking on, holding or dialing a cellular phone, operating a hand-held audio player (such as an iPod or mp3 player), or programming a GPS,” the release states. “If it’s in your hand you’re going to get dinged,” Cpt. Kurt Banse with Quesnel Traffic Services said. Penalty points remain on a person’s driving record
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for five years and can result in further sanctions, including prohibitions from driving. The province also highlighted the fact the new distracted driving legislation also prohibits drivers in the Graduated Licensing Program from using any hands-free device. With lighting and weather conditions worsening with the season, the province and ICBC say drivers
should be “be aware that distraction is a top contributing factor for drivers in vehicle collisions that involved pedestrians.” “Distracted driving has now surpassed impaired driving for fatalities on B.C. roads,” Banse said. “It’s a prevalent problem. We have zero tolerance.” Distracted driving is the second leading contributing factor of vehicle fatalities in B.C. The province says it will continue to
look at increased fines for distracted driving. Key Facts: • Drivers that accrue more than three points must pay an ICBC driver penalty point premium that starts at $175 and will escalate if they receive more points. • A driver who receives two distracted driving tickets in a year would pay $634, which is the cost of two fines and a $300 penalty for six points.
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• As points build on a person’s driving record, the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles may also identify a driver as high-risk and monitor or prohibit them under the Driver Improvement Program. • High-risk drivers can receive administrative interventions ranging from warning letters, which say their driving record is being monitored, to prohibitions from driving.
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