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The fine for those caught driving with a mobile device in Alberta is set to increase today.
The ban on using a mobile device came into effect in September 2011, with fines rising in subsequent years from $172 to $287. Starting today, the monetary penalty will now be paired with three demerit points.
Calgary Police Service Traffic Unit Staff Sergeant Paul Stacey tells News Talk 770 that some 30,000 tickets have been written in Calgary since the law’s inception, a trend he hopes will finally start going down in the new year.
He adds the legislation has done a good job so far, but believes his “final nudge” is needed, as demerits are a much-bigger deal than fines, for some.
Stacey adds smartphones seem to have caught a few people by surprise because of how quickly it’s become so addicting for some people.
He says it will be something they will keep an eye on as 2016 rolls along.
Agencies/Canadajournal
