First announced last year as part of a plan to tackle the increasing number of distracted drivers on the roads of Saskatchewan, fines for the offence are now more than double what they used to be.
Effective Saturday, February 1st 2020, if you are caught and ticketed for distracted driving, your wallet is going to be a lot lighter. The first offence will cost you $580 and four driver demerit point. Before Saturday, the fine was $280.
If you are caught and ticketed for distracted driving a second time within one year of your first offence, be prepared to pay $1,400, have your vehicle seized for seven days (you will pay for tow and impound fees), and earn another four demerit points.
If you’re dumb enough to be caught for distracted driving a third time, the fine goes all the way up to $2,100 (total $4,080), another 4 demerit points for a total of 12, and another 7 day seizure of your vehicle.
Related: Can you get ticketed for using your display in your Tesla in BC? Maybe
The issue of distracted driving in your Tesla is a bit of a grey area since most of the vehicle controls are only accessible via the in-car display. We’ve heard from a number of officers that it is up to the discretion of the officer to determine if what you are doing is ‘distracted driving’, even if it’s accessing something on your in-car display.
Obviously you don’t want to be browsing the internet or playing a game while stopped at a stop light, but doing things like accessing your navigation or accessing some of the more advanced settings in your Tesla could lead to a ticket if it’s done in an unsafe manner.
Have you received a ticket for distracted driving in your Tesla? Did you fight the ticket? Let us know in the comments below.
