Man using smartphone 1st person to lose licence for a week under new driving laws
Getting caught distracted behind the wheel twice now means automatic, one-week suspension
A man in his 60s now has the "dubious distinction" of being the first person in the province to have his licence suspended for a week after twice being caught using his smartphone while driving, Manitoba Public Insurance said in a release Thursday.
The driver's first offence happened in late November, which resulted in a three-day licence suspension under the province's new distracted driving laws. The new legislation came into effect Nov. 1.
He was caught again in early January in Portage la Prairie, MPI says.
Close to 300 drivers have had their licences suspended since the new law came into effect. It allows for a seven-day suspension for a second offence committed within a 10-year-period.
In addition, drivers caught using their phones while driving will also take a hit to their wallet, to the tune of a $672 fine. They will also get five demerit points.
In 2017, distracted driving was a contributing factor in more than 15,000 collisions, 30 of which were fatal, according to MPI.