When a police officer orders a driver to pull over, ignoring them can be very expensive, as one Langley motorist discovered recently.
Langley RCMP Cpl. Holly Largy described how officers were conducting distracted driving enforcement in the Willowbrook area on Feb. 23, when a driver was observed using her cell phone and was directed by officers to pull over.
She kept going instead.
Later that Tuesday, officers paid the 33-year-old a visit at her home.
She was issued three violation tickets at that time – for using an electronic device, failing to obey police direction, and failing to stop for police. That makes a total of $615.
In addition, she will be assessed nine insurance points that, upon conviction, will cost an additional $922, bringing the combined penalties to more than $1,500.
“It really doesn’t pay to avoid the police,” Cpl. Largy commented.
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It is close to triple the amount the driver would have paid if she had pulled over.
Drivers caught emailing, texting, or using an electronic device while driving face a first-time offence fine of $368 and four points, or $578 in fines.
In British Columbia, it is against the law to text, email, talk or otherwise hold an electronic device in the hand while operating a motor vehicle, including while the vehicle is stopped at a red light.
READ ALSO: A Langley police check finds 17 distracted drivers in two hours
Stats suggest that distracted driving is responsible for 22 per cent of fatal car accidents involving people between 16 and 21, or one in five youth killed in car crashes every year.
Have a story tip? Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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