Distracted driving law not working, Alberta minister says

Alberta's distracted driving law isn't working very well, admits the province's minister of transportation.

Ric McIver says the two-year-old legislation needs improvement.

"Go to any corner where there's a traffic signal and look at the people that stop at the red light and see how many of them have got their cell phone up to their ear which they already know is against the law," he said Tuesday. 

"That will tell you all you need to know the fact that we need to increase the compliance level and we are actually evaluating strategies to do that right now."

McIver said the province is considering hiking penalites and doing more to educate drivers, but will not go as far as to seize vehicles.

The distracted driving law carries a fine of $172.