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Demerit Points Will be Added to Alberta’s Distracted Driving Penalty

December 12th, 2015  |  Auto

On December 10, Brian Mason, Alberta's Minister of Transportation, announced the province's latest line of defense against distracted driving: demerit points. Starting on January 1, Albertans convicted of distracted driving will receive three demerit points, a penalty that may lead to expensive auto insurance rates for drivers.

Distracted driving first became a ticketable offence in 2011. Between then and March 2015, Mason says close to 88,000 distracted driving tickets have led to convictions. He laments that the dangerous habit has become even more widespread: from the beginning of April 2014 to the end of March 2015, Alberta witnessed more than 27,000 distracted driving convictions.

While talking on the phone or texting are the notorious faces of the offence, distracted driving also refers to driving while reading, writing, or grooming. Moreover, Albertans can be charged with this offense as they navigate a parking lot or a drive-thru.

The current penalty for distracted driving is a $287 fine. The St. Albert Gazette says the provincial government, police, and public are all hopeful that increased consequences will lead to lower instances of distracted driving and fewer subsequent accidents.

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