Alberta RCMP are reminding young drivers to avoid distractions and drive with caution this summer break
“The message is simple, distracted driving is extremely dangerous. It puts you and everyone else on the road at greater risk of being involved in a collision,” says Superintendent Rick Gardner, Alberta Traffic Sheriffs. “Drivers need to keep their eyes on the road and off the phones.”
Young drivers counted 14 percent of the province’s registered drivers in 2015, but were more than 20 percent of all the drivers in involved in accidents. Police say distracted driving is a big cause of this.
Distracted driving can be talking on a cell phone, texting, attending to other passengers or pets, or even personal grooming.
“Distracted driving can be as dangerous as impaired driving. Officers from the ITUs are always watching for distracted drivers and we’ve seen everything from the obvious cell phones, to reading a book, to shaving, to holding a bowl of soup with one hand and eating it with a spoon in the other, all while driving,” says, RCMP Sgt. Darrin Turnbull. “Things around you can change in the blink of an eye, please pay attention.”
Police remind teenagers and young adults that getting behind the wheel of a vehicle is a serious responsibility. Everyone has a part to play when it comes to traffic safety and that starts with keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.