“Texting and driving changed my life forever”
The average Canadian sends or receives 41.5 texts per day, with those in the 18-24 age group texting more than 100 times a day. What the stats don’t say is that texting while driving can change your life forever.
The allure to quickly read and respond – even from behind the wheel of a moving vehicle – can be tempting. Just ask Dustin Vernie, who delivered a powerful presentation today to students from Winnipeg’s Sturgeon Heights Collegiate.
The Selkirk teen, who recently turned 18, was catastrophically injured after his vehicle crashed in 2011. Dustin admits he was texting while driving on that fateful night.
“One split second changed my life forever,” Vernie told the students. “Don’t text and drive.”
Vernie, who is slowly beginning to walk again, is now committed to speaking to other teens with hopes they avoid the horrific experience he’s now dealing with.
“We’re challenging Manitoba drivers to put down their hand held devices,” Ted Hlynsky, Vice-President, Claims Control & Safety Operations, Manitoba Public Insurance said today.
“The statistics are eye opening: a texting driver is 23 times more likely to get into a collision than the non-texting driver. Statistics from 2010 report that 38 per cent of fatal crashes in Manitoba have distracted or careless driving as a contributing factor.”
A recent Manitoba Public Insurance poll confirms that Manitoba drivers continue to talk on their hand held cell phones or text while driving. Of 800 respondents, about 30 per cent admitted to texting or talking on their hand held cell phone. Earlier this month, Manitoba’s public auto insurer announced it was providing $120,000 in funding to police agencies ─ Winnipeg Police Service, RCMP and Brandon Police Service ─ to conduct target, dedicated enforcement towards distracted drivers during February.
To date, police (Winnipeg, Brandon and RCMP) have handed out more than 500 hand held cellphone/texting traffic violations throughout Manitoba.
“Driver’s need to change their behaviour,” said Hlynsky. “That’s accomplished through education, awareness and law enforcement. The goal of this campaign is to reduce distracted-driving collisions.”
Manitoba’s Highway Traffic Act was amended in July 2010 to prohibit drivers from using any hand-operated electronic device (including cellphones) while driving. Drivers caught doing so by police will receive a ticket of $199.80. Manitoba law does allow for the use of hand-free devices.
