Vancouver driver totalled car while trying to 'adjust his shoe,' police say

The Vancouver Police Department's Traffic Unit shared an image of a single-vehicle crash they say was caused by a driver who was distracted. (Credit: Twitter/VPDTrafficUnit)

Police in Vancouver are reminding people to keep their eyes on the road after a driver who was "trying to adjust his shoe" crashed into a pole this weekend.

The Vancouver Police Department's Traffic Unit shared a photo of the wreckage on Twitter Monday, showing the front-end of a red car mangled nearly beyond recognition.

"Alcohol was not a factor in this early Sunday morning crash, but poor decision-making was," the tweet says.

The driver, according to the post, suffered a "badly broken leg" while the passenger was "surprisingly" not hurt at all.

ICBC's website warns about the dangers of distracted driving, noting the term encompasses more than just the use of electronic devices while on the road.

"Anything that takes your attention away from driving, like chatting with passengers, eating or drinking, or adjusting radio or vehicle settings, can contribute to distracted and inattentive driving," the insurer's website says.

Distracted driving causes an average of 76 fatalities in the province each year, representing 27 per cent of crash-related deaths, according to ICBC.