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What counts as distracted driving in Alberta

Rules vary from province to province
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(Metro Creative Connection)

Distracted driving rules vary from province to province.

According to Government of Alberta, the following actions are considered as distractions:

· Using hand-held cellphones

· Texting or emailing (even when stopped at red lights)

· Using electronic devices like laptop computers, video games, cameras, video entertainment displays and programming portable audio players, like MP3 players)

· Entering information on GPS units

· Reading printed materials in the vehicle

· Writing, printing or sketching

· Personal grooming (brushing and flossing teeth, putting on makeup, curling hair, clipping nails or shaving)

There are a number of actions that are not considered a distraction including, using a cellphone in hands-free mode, drinking and eating a snack, smoking, talking with passengers in the vehicle, calling 911 using a hand-held phone, using a CB radio to communicate with an employer and using a GPS that is affixed to the vehicle.

-With files from Alberta RCMP