Nearly 2,000 motorists in Vancouver were ticketed during a month-long campaign aimed at distracted drivers, leaving police wondering if the message is getting through.
Sgt. Jason Robillard says officers issued 1,969 tickets to drivers for using their cellphones last month.
He says distracted driving has surpassed impaired driving as a leading factor in traffic fatalities but the high number of tickets proves the use of devices is still a problem.
Robillard says police hear a number of explanations from drivers who are using their cellphones.
One man said he was watching his financial video from his website while a woman said she thought it would be all right to have her cellphone on her lap while eating lunch with both hands.
The fine for using an electronic device is $368 and four demerit points.
Police are appealing to family members to use their influence to pressure relatives to turn off their phones while on the road.
Last month, Vancouver police highlighted the case of a driver who racked up more than $700 in fines and eight demerit points in eight minutes because of a reluctance to put down a phone.
Police posted a photo of the two tickets on social media, showing that within a space of barely six blocks along one of the city's most congested streets, the driver of a rented car was stopped twice for using an electronic device.
