Tougher penalties sought

Photo: Contributed

It would seem British Columbians support tougher distracted driving penalties.

At the halfway point of B.C.'s distracted driving online consultation, it's clear British Columbians are concerned about the dangerous behaviour and would support tougher penalties to curb it.

Since June 16, the website gov.bc.ca/distracteddriving has been visited more than 11,800 times.

Nearly 90 per cent of those leaving feedback say they're "very concerned" about distracted driving, and 96 per cent support escalating sanctions for repeat offenders.

A majority of British Columbians favour increasing the fine amount and have indicated a combination of sanctions are needed to make people stop using handheld devices while driving.

This week, the government would like to know what people think of vehicle impoundments and licence suspensions as effective penalties.

Vehicle impoundment currently exists as a sanction for excessive speeding and drinking and driving, ranging from three to 60 days. This is one of the alternative approaches government is considering implementing as a sanction for distracted driving.