It was fish in a barrel for the Burnaby RCMP’s traffic enforcement unit this week.
Police officers set up on Burnaby roadways along with ICBC, Transit Police and others to focus on bad drivers.
It didn’t take long to catch a whopping 16 distracted drivers who received a total of 34 tickets.
As always, keep your eyes on the road and not your phone or other things like how you look in the mirror.
Burnaby RCMP also announced that it was out early Saturday morning looking for impaired drivers as many people use the upcoming Canada Day holiday to package up vacation time and celebrate.
ICBC and the B.C. government also recently launched a campaign to urge drivers to slow down after noticing an increase of vehicles speeding since B.C. declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19.
Speeding increases the chance of crashing and even reduces the amount of time drivers have to react to unexpected situations on the road, according to ICBC.
On average, 86 people are killed in speed-related crashes every year in the province, which makes speeding the number one cause of car crash deaths in B.C.
“While everyday life has recently changed for many in B.C., nothing has changed when it comes to road safety,” said Neil Dubord, chair of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee.
“Speed, distracted driving and impaired driving are just a few of the high-risk driving behaviours that put everyone at risk. With the use of intersection safety cameras and dedicated police agencies throughout the province, drivers are sure to be caught and held accountable when they make the choice to disregard the rules of the road.”
Drivers are asked to be extra cautious and to look out for pedestrians and cyclists as many families are taking time to go outside during the pandemic.
- With files from Valerie Leung
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
