Coquitlam police double number of distracted driving tickets issued in March

Coquitlam police say many drivers in that city are not getting the message when it comes to distracted driving.

In a news release, Coquitlam RCMP said last month they handed out more than double the number of distracted driving tickets as they did in March 2017.

For the past several years, March has been Distracted Driving Month, and police across B.C. conduct ticketing blitzes to catch drivers not paying attention while driving.

In 2017, police handed out a total of 636 tickets, 72 of which were for distracted driving. This year, 750 tickets were issued and 145 of them were for distracted driving.

"It looks like our enhanced enforcement efforts, combined with the use of special techniques like a bucket truck to spot people using their phones, were very effective," spokesperson Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said in a statement.

"Ultimately our goal is not to write tickets but to educate people that distracted driving is illegal, dangerous and carries stiff financial penalties."

In addition to using a bucket truck to peer down on drivers at intersections, McLaughlin said police had success camping out on SkyTrain platforms to get a better vantage point and using spotters on bikes and motorcycles.

He says it wasn't just drivers using handheld devices who were busted: drivers reading the newspaper or putting on makeup were common sights as well.

McLaughlin says distracted driving is one of the top priorities for traffic enforcement and is responsible for more damage to people and property than impaired driving.

He says until distracted driving becomes less socially acceptable — the way impaired driving has over the years — it will remain a priority for police.