Distracted drivers will pay higher fines, earn demerit points

Drivers caught using smartphones or other distracting devices will earn demerit points and pay higher fines.

MLA Moe Amery's bill to toughen distracted driving penalties passed easily Monday through the legislature.

Fines will soonjump to $250from $172, and come with threedemerit points.

Alberta and Ontario arethe only provinces that donot issuedemerit points for drivers ticketed for distracted driving.

Toughening the law has been on the government's radar since 2013 when Ric McIver, the transportation minister at the time,said the two-year-old legislation needed improvement.