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Tourists Exempt from B.C. Cell Phone Law Until April 1

3:52 pm on January 4, 2010 | Category: Cell Phones, Mobile Devices, Regulation

It is now technically illegal to use a handheld cell phone while driving in British Columbia. Visitors from out of province, however, will get a temporary reprieve from the new law.

“We’re going to be waiting until April 1st before we start taking any action against motorists from out of the province,” said Kelowna RCMP Staff Sergeant, Al Dengis.

This will mean that hundreds of thousands of people expected to attend the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics next month will not be subject to the law. Day-trippers from Alberta (where talking-and-driving is still legal) and Washington state (where it is merely a secondary offense) will also benefit from the temporary exemption.

Police are currently issuing warning tickets to B.C. drivers who talk behind the wheel, and will begin handing out $167 fines on February 1, 2010.

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