Cops ride bus to target distracted drivers
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/04/2018 (2841 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Brandon Police Service “didn’t reinvent the wheel” when it put officers on the bus to catch distracted drivers in the city, according to Sgt. Dave Andrew.
He said other police detachments, including BPS, have previously used a heightened seat on the bus to bust drivers glancing at their cellphone.
Over a three-day period this week, 18 distracted driving tickets were issued. Officers were on patrol in the afternoon and early evening, Andrew said.
“Our traffic members have found that it’s a good option because it gets you into an elevated position.”
A cop who notices a distracted driver on the bus would radio the infraction to officers patrolling the streets, who would ticket them.
The technique is part of the enhanced enforcement strategy BPS has in place to find illegal cellphone wielders in April, which is distracted driving awareness month.
Those efforts include officers on foot patrol wearing plain clothes. In the past, officers have lugged backpacks to blend in with other pedestrians.
Education through social media is also part of the plan.
The 18 infractions police noticed while riding the bus are obviously more than officers want, but Andrew said a member who specializes in traffic enforcement felt cellphone usage on city streets has dropped recently.
“Hopefully because of the education component, some people are finally starting to realize how dangerous it is to do that,” Andrew said.
The provincial government has tried to clamp down on distracted drivers.
A new bill recently introduced would impose a three-day suspension for a first offence, and seven days for the second offence.
Manitoba began responding to distracted driving in 2010 when a $200 fine was introduced. The next year, two demerits were added as a penalty.
In 2015, the number of demerits was increased to five.
“All of these efforts to date haven’t had the effect that we would like to see,” BPS Deputy Chief Randy Lewis told The Sun in an interview last month.
“The safety issue of distracted driving is still front and centre, and it’s causing a lot of accidents. People are losing their lives, and suffering serious injury because of the effects of distracted driving.”
Provincewide, the number of collisions involving distracted drivers soared from 2,415 in 2011 to 11,086 in 2016, according to Manitoba Public Insurance.
As of mid-March, BPS issued 38 tickets for distracted driving.
The force wrote 276 tickets for distracted driving last year, up from 215 in 2016.
» ifroese@brandonsun.com, with files from Jillian Austin
» Twitter: @ianfroese