Distracted Driving: Who Needs Low Insurance Rates Anyway?
We all know the headline story: one glance at your phone, one dinner spill, one GPS glance — and suddenly you’re not just distracted, you’re risk-exposed. The local Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Airdrie recently urged drivers to “put phones away” after seeing an alarming number of infractions.
Here’s what distracted driving means for your safety and your insurance — especially here in Alberta.
What the Stats Say
In Canada, about 47% of drivers admitted to sending a message while driving.
In Alberta, drivers using a hand-held device are 8 × more likely to crash or nearly crash.
Distracted driving is responsible for around 25% of road fatalities in Alberta
From an insurance industry perspective, the cost of distraction-related accidents in Canada is projected to reach $159 million by 2030.
Bottom line: distraction isn’t a minor lapse — it’s one of the biggest crash drivers today.
What the Law Looks Like in Alberta
A driver can be charged for distraction even if they’re stopped and not driving
as in, you’re sitting at a red light, foot on the brake, thinking “technically, I’m not driving.”
Newsflash: the law doesn’t care about your technicalities.Fine: $300
Demerits: 3 points
Bonus prize: Higher insurance rates for up to 3 years.
If you’re scrolling TikTok while waiting for the light to turn green, congratulations — you’re multi-tasking your way into a premium increase.
Why It Matters to Your Insurance
Distracted driving isn’t just a ticket — it’s a risk marker for insurers.
A single distracted driving conviction can increase premiums by 25% or more for about three years in Alberta.
In Canada, a distracted driving ticket has been shown to raise rates between 4% and 24%, depending on the province and insurer.
Insurers treat a distracted driving incident similarly to other major traffic convictions because the driver is statistically more likely to crash.
From the insurer’s perspective: higher crash risk → more claims → higher cost → higher premiums and stricter underwriting.
For you, that means:
A distracted ticket today = higher rate or restricted coverage tomorrow.
Insurers may raise the deductible or refuse certain coverages post-conviction.
Keeping a clean record isn’t just about driving safely—it’s about preserving your insurance access and affordability.
Tips to Avoid Becoming a Statistic
Use “Do-Not-Disturb” mode on your phone.
iPhone: Settings → Focus → Driving → Turn on “Activate Automatically.” It’ll mute alerts while you’re in motion and even auto-reply with a “Driving — I’ll text you later” message.
Android: Settings → Digital Wellbeing → Do Not Disturb → Schedules → Add Driving Mode (or through Android Auto). It can detect motion and silence notifications automatically.
Stop the car (in a safe place) before messaging or calling. A 5-second glance at 90 km/h means you just travelled the length of a football field blind.
Educate young or new drivers — they’re often at the highest risk because they think they’re invincible and multitasking gods.
Drop a little reality into the conversation:
Teen: “I’m lowkey a pro driver & I’m not gonna do that.”
You: “Cool, If you do, I’ll be lowkey removing you from my insurance.”
Our Take
At McDonalds Insurance, we’ve seen good drivers pay the price for one distracted moment.
Our advice? Keep your hands on the wheel, your phone on silent, and your premium where it belongs — low.