British Columbia drivers may be pleased to hear that one motorist is temporarily off the roads after racking up a whopping 14 distracted driving tickets in just over five years.
Richmond RCMP announced earlier this week that the driver, who allegedly almost struck a police car last month while distracted, has been hit with a driving prohibition.
Do you recall the driver we tweeted about? They are now prohibited
— Richmond RCMP (@RichmondRCMP)
from driving.
The RCMP didn’t say how long the ban will last.
Officers discovered the record of repeat offences when they pulled the driver over for nearly colliding into an RCMP cruiser in March.
As a warning to others on the road, the , which showed a dozen other distracted driving priors issued between 2011 and 2015 throughout the province. Seven of the 14 tickets were accumulated during a one-year span, from October 2013 to June 2014.
While other B.C. residents were pleased to hear the news, some wondered if the driving ban would actually keep the driver off the road.
how much u wanna bet they'll still drive...
— hold fast (@hold_fast1)
So why do you not treat distracted driving the same as drunk driving? The kill rate is greater with cell phones
— Jerry Cutler (@JOLearyCutler)
Neat. but for how long? And how long until they're ticketed for driving without a license?
— Derek (@derekotron)
they clearly don't care about the tickets...so I'm sure they won't care about driving without a license too..
— Easybreezy (@Easybreezy0722)
The current fine for distracted driving in B.C. is $167, one of the lowest in the country.
In Ontario, motorists convicted of distracted driving receive a $400 fine, plus a victim surcharge and court fee. Distracted drivers in Prince Edward Island face between $500 and $1,200 per offence.