Distracted driving convictions dived during COVID. It doesn't mean roads are safer, experts say

Fewer Alberta drivers were convicted of distracted driving during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Edmonton police and a road safety advocate warn it doesn't mean our roads are any safer.

"The optimistic answer would be that … there's maybe a decrease in distracted driving," said Jeff Kasbrick, vice-president of advocacy and operations with the Alberta Motor Association.

"However, the more realistic answer is a shade away from that. 

"On any drive that you'll take, you will more than likely be seeing someone drive distracted. So it would be a great myth for us to think that we've solved the challenge and the problem of distracted driving."

As COVID-19 forced many people to work from home and public health restrictions limited travel, lower traffic volumes likely resulted in fewer distracted driving charges.

Also, the closure of courthouses during the pandemic likely postponed convictions, according to police.

A provincial court spokesperson declined to comment because it would be speculation.

Under Alberta's Traffic Safety Act, using a cellphone or "hand-held electronic device," reading, writing, grooming, or "any other activity that may be prescribed in the regulations" while behind the wheel is distracted driving.

Provincial data shows there were 13,012 distracted driving convictions from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021 — 8,600 fewer than the previous year, and less than half as many as six years earlier.

Almost all convictions are related to using a cellphone or electronic device, data shows.

Enforcing distracted driving

Charging drivers with distracted driving requires a higher burden of proof than other traffic violations, said Sgt. Kerry Bates, of the Edmonton Police Service traffic safety unit.

Officers actually have to see, for example, a driver "manipulating" a device — seeing someone staring at their lap while at a red light is not enough — then present the evidence to convict.

"It does take a little more than a simple speeding ticket or a stop sign," Bates said. "We have to be a little more thorough in your investigation with relation to a cellphone offence."

Nowadays, many traffic enforcement vehicles in Edmonton are SUVs and trucks, which give officers a better vantage point to see what other drivers are doing inside their vehicles, he said.

Edmonton police occasionally run operations where an officer posted on a median or curb — that's higher than the road — notes distracted drivers, then radios other officers farther down the street to pull them over, Bates said.

Edmonton leads Alberta cities

Edmonton is the only major city in the province to see a rise in distracted driving convictions since the province recorded this data.

There were 4,094 convictions in Edmonton in fiscal 2015 — the oldest data available. At that time, Calgary led the province in distracted driving convictions.

In 2017, convictions in Edmonton peaked at 6,594, and the city passed Calgary for most convictions among the large cities in Alberta.

It has led the province ever since. There were 4,306 convictions in Edmonton last year, almost 3,000 more than Calgary.

Bates couldn't say decisively why there are more convictions in Edmonton; he's only familiar with how the EPS enforces distracted driving.

He suggested pandemic-related court closures varied in different cities, and judges in different jurisdictions may rule differently on these cases.

CBC News contacted the provincial courts for comment, but did not receive a response prior to publication.

"Edmonton drivers aren't probably any worse or guilty of driving and playing with their phones than people in Calgary, or other areas per capita," Bates said.

Calgary convictions cut year-over-year

Alberta's largest city, once the leader in distracted driving, saw convictions cut by more than half pre-pandemic — and an even further drop since the pandemic started.

In fiscal 2015, there were 7,173 distracted driving convictions in Calgary.

Since then, there have been hundreds fewer convictions each year. By fiscal 2020, there were 3,109 convictions in Calgary — a drop of about 57 per cent over that six-year span.

There were 1,308 convictions last year, data shows.

The Calgary Police Service was unable to do an interview prior to publication.

Distracted driving is preventable

The recent decline in convictions may be misleading about how significant an issue distracted driving remains, said Kasbrick, of AMA.

Provincial data shows more Albertans are licensed to drive. Meanwhile, smartphones and technology installed in vehicles are becoming more advanced, presenting opportunities for a better driving experience, as well as more distractions for drivers, Kasbrick said.

Yet distracted driving is entirely preventable, he added.

"We have the power within ourselves to ensure that we just are not going to be answering that text, or shuffling to our next playlist, while we're behind the wheel," he said.

Bates and Kasbrick said things can happen so quickly on the road that drivers owe each other their full concentration while behind the wheel.

Edmonton police are working with Alberta Transportation, the ministry in charge of provincial road safety, to promote the consequences of distracted driving, Bates said.