Apps don’t always make life more convenient.
That’s what a 71-year-old North Vancouver woman discovered last Friday after she drove her car into a steep ditch while attempting to use an app on her phone to turn on her house lights.
The incident occurred on Indian River Drive in North Vancouver Oct. 27, a few blocks from the driver’s home, at approximately 9:30 p.m.
“The driver admitted to police to performing this illegal and dangerous maneuver while driving,” noted North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Cpl. Richard De Jong in a release. “Fortunately no one was injured, considering that the outcome could potentially have had dramatic negative consequences.”
The driver was issued a violation ticket for driving while using an electronic device.
While the use of an app to control home features has become more and more common, De Jong wanted to remind people that remotely turning on or off house lights should always be done in a “safe manner.”
“Pull over, do it where it’s safe and then proceed to your home,” he said. “When you do it when you’re driving (there’s) huge risks involved and, of course, it’s not only illegal but it’s dangerous.”
More information on distracted driving can be found at the RCMP and ICBC websites.
