By Katherine Svenkeson

Distracted driving violations spike in N.B.

Jan 17, 2017 | 4:00 PM

The recent changes to Saskatchewan’s distracting driving laws are coming at a good time for the City of North Battleford, as cases of distracted driving spiked dramatically in the last year. 

In a report on the City of North Battleford Municipal Enforcement Presence, Visibility, Public Safety Initiatives, it showed that the city’s Community Safety Officers (CSOs) handled 111 cases of distracted driving in 2016 — a marked increase from only four cases in 2015.

Director of Protective Services and Fire Chief, Albert Headrick, points to less CSOs appointed in the city in 2015, and the recent changes to distracted driving laws as some of the reasons for this hike.   

Currently, the city has six employed CSOs, compared to four back in 2015, which Headrick said could sometimes only leave two on patrol at a time.

“Distracted driving violations got more prominent in 2016 compared to 2015 because legislation was tightened up,” Headrick also pointed out.

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The provincial government has been working at tightening up these legislations over the last while, including making holding, using, viewing or manipulating a cell phone while driving illegal, effective Jan. 1 of this year. 

“A lot of emphasis is being put on distracted driving for the simple fact of the number of fatalities that have been experienced across Canada. It’s a leading cause for death while driving,” Headrick said.

The new distracted driving laws include new drivers not being able to use hands free devices, such as Bluetooth, however, allowing them for more experienced drivers. 

Katherine Svenkeson is a reporter with battlefordsNOW. She can be reached at katherine.svenkeson@jpbg.ca or on Twitter @ksvenkeson.