British Columbia

Distracted driving review in B.C. prompts personal, and some heartbreaking, response

RoadSafety B.C.says it has received more than 10,000 submissions during its month-long consultation on distracted driving.

10,000 submissions, some with personal stories about toll of distracted driving, received

RoadSafety B.C. received more than 10,000 submissions during a month-long consultation on distracted driving. (Intel Free Press/Wikimedia Commons)

RoadSafety B.C.says it has received more than 10,000 submissions during its month-long consultation on distracted driving.

Submissions range from a long-haul trucker who says he has a birds-eye view of a constant stream of drivers texting or chatting on cell phones — to the grief-stricken story of the young couple who lost their unborn child when a distracted driver hit their car.

According to RoadSafety B.C., nearly 90 per cent of 9,000 respondents said they are very concerned about distracted driving.

About 7,500 people answered the question about fines for distracted driving. Of those, 90 per cent say the penalty should be increased.