Photo: Bailey Law Firm SC

The cost of distracted driving is about to go up across B.C. 

Drivers with two distracted driving tickets in a three-year period will see their total penalties rise to as much as $2,000, an increase of $740 – and this is in addition to their regular insurance premium.

“Distracted driving continues to put people in danger and significant pressure on insurance rates for all drivers. Today, we are taking action to curb the behaviour and improve safety for all B.C. road users,” Attorney General David Eby said Monday.

The province is working to designate distracted driving as a high-risk driving behaviour under the ICBC Driver Risk Premium program.

“This change will treat distracted driving as the serious high-risk behaviour that it is; one that is on par with impaired driving and excessive speeding," said Eby.

The changes come into effect March 1.

“B.C. already has some of the toughest distracted-driving penalties in Canada, and these changes make our rules even tougher,” said Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.

Distracted driving is a factor in more than 25 per cent of all car crash fatalities in B.C., killing on average 78 people each year.

About 12,000 drivers in British Columbia have multiple distracted-driving offences over a three-year period.