Canadian motorist caught using curling iron behind the wheel

NANAIMO, British Columbia, May 5 (UPI) -- Transportation officials in British Columbia said a video of a woman curling her hair behind the wheel is "beyond anything" seen on the province's roads.

The video, shot by fellow travelers Saturday evening on Island Highway, north of Nanaimo, and posted to YouTube, appears to have been recorded by a passenger in a vehicle alongside the car driven by the woman, who appears to be using her knees to keep the wheel steady while using a curling iron on her hair.

The voices of a man and a woman can be heard on the video expressing shock at the motorist's behavior.

The creators of the video, who requested anonymity, said the woman was driving about 55 mph and did not set her hands on the wheel once while they were observing her.

"It never fails to amaze you at the extent of distracted driving in some British Columbians," Transportation Minister Todd Stone told Global News. "We often talk about distracted driving in the context of operating a cell phone, or eating or drinking and whatnot, but to actually be driving what would appear to be with your knees, while you're curling your hair, is beyond anything I've ever seen on our roads."

"Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of crashes in this province and people are losing their lives completely unnecessarily," Stone said. "British Columbians need to put their handheld devices down, leave their curling irons at home and focus on the task at hand, which is to drive."

Saanich police said the woman, who has not been identified, would likely be ticketed if she was caught in the act for driving without due care and attention. They said a curling iron is not considered to be an electronic device.