Do you know how many people got caught with distracted driving tickets last year?
After Alberta RCMP put out a release last week saying that a total of 5,231 drivers were caught distracted driving across the province, both Strathcona County and Fort Saskatchewan have released the local numbers.
In Fort Saskatchewan, the number was surprisingly small.
"Fort Saskatchewan RCMP issued a total of 87 tickets for distracted driving," said constable Suzanne Ahlstrom. "24 of those include warnings, 63 violation tickets were issued to drivers."
That makes up just a little over 1 per cent of the provincial total for 2022.
The numbers were a bit higher in Strathcona County issuing a grand total of 381 tickets with only 26 of them being warnings. That makes 355 drivers who got caught with charges for distracted driving in the county.
That amounts to about 7 per cent of the provincial total.
Though it may seem like a ticket you could talk yourself out of with a clever excuse, RCMP says they've heard it all.
“Our Traffic officers have heard every excuse for why a motorist might have been distracted driving,” said Inspector Chris Romanchych with Alberta RCMP Traffic. "'I was just checking the time, I was calling my mom, my phone fell between the seats and I had to pick it up…’ but there is never a good enough reason to put yourself and those you share the road with at such risk."
Distracted driving tickets carry a fine of $300.