Vancouver police have written 1,500 distracted-driving tickets since the launch of a provincial distracted driving campaign on March 1.

The number is far higher than average for a three-week period, although it's an apples-to-oranges comparison because earlier traffic campaigns didn't specifically target distracted drivers, police said.

"This high number is disappointing," said acting Insp. Ken Eng of the VPD traffic section. "We have seen first-hand the consequences of distracted driving. Leave your phone alone and pay attention to the road. No call or text is worth that kind of risk."

Police said an average of 88 people are killed every year in B.C. because of distracted driving, which makes it the second leading cause of car crash fatalities in the province.

Vancouver police Const. Brian Montague noted that there were about 9,500 distracted-driving tickets issued last year in the city.

"We wrote a little over 500 tickets (in March 2014), but there was no specific campaign going on. But to write three times that number (a year later) tells me that some people aren't getting the message.

"We're hoping, with continued enforcement, people will leave their cellphones in the back seat or in their pocket where they belong."

Last week, Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan unsuccessfully disputed his July 2013 distracted driving ticket and was found guilty of using a cellphone while driving on Willingdon Avenue.

According to the Insurance Corp. of B.C., holding a cellphone while driving is worth a $167 fine and three driver penalty points.

bmorton@vancouversun.com

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