Canadians to distracted drivers: Enough

Manitoba has joined Ontario in stiffening its fines for distracted drivers. Both provinces have punishments that rank among the toughest in North America. The Manitoba government on June 4 unveiled a new 5-demerit penalty vs. the driver's license. The existing $200 fine remains the same. Distracted drivers previously faced a 2-demerit assessment. The new penalty goes into effect July 1. "This is the highest level of demerit points in Canada for the use of a handheld device," said Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh, left. All Canadian provinces use demerits to punish distracted … [Read more...]

Manitoba: Distracted driving news

In the first three months under Manitoba's strengthened distracted driving laws, about 300 drivers have seen their licenses suspended for cell phone use. One man received a seven-day suspension after being caught for offenses in November 2018 and then again in January, according to Manitoba Public Insurance. Manitoba's fine for handheld cell phone offenses became among the strongest in Canada as of Nov. 1, 2018. Fines soared to $672 from $203. First offenders also will get a three-day license suspension and suffer 5 demerit points. The license suspension expands to seven days for serial … [Read more...]