Calgary police have handed out more than 1,400 fines in the first four months since new distracted driving legislation took effect.
New numbers released this morning suggest the majority of those $172 were for using a handheld device.
“Our preference would be to not have to write any tickets," said Mike Hagen, a traffic education officer with the police. "Then we would know everyone was complying with the legislation and our roads would be even safer. However, it is unfortunate that some people do not learn through education alone and a ticket is necessary to try and alter driving behaviour."
Some motorists have been critical of police in recent weeks, claiming not enough is being done to enforce the law, which also bans other activities behind the wheel like grooming and reading.


There are no comments yet