MPI has provided the police in Manitoba some funding for a campaign to focus on finding distracted drivers.
Brian Smiley, with MPI, says they have provided the RCMP and police services around the province, 175 thousand dollars for the month of April. The money is to pay for officers’ overtime hours to work on this program.
The money will get spread out based off of which officers do more overtime work. Typically, the Winnipeg Police Service, RCMP and Brandon Police Service receive the bulk of the funding but the smaller police agencies will get money too.
Smiley says MPI is doing this because people in the Parkland should be able to drive on the roads safely without issues. Those that are out driving while texting or talking on their phone are putting people’s lives at risk.
In the last 6 years, this campaign has resulted in 13 thousand offences. Distracted driving results in about 30 deaths yearly in Manitoba.
Anyone caught driving while being distracted will receive an automatic 3-day license suspension, 672 dollar fine, and upon conviction, the driver will receive 5 demerits as well. A second offence within 10 years will result in a 7-day license suspension, the same 672 dollar fine and 5 demerits.
