By Leah Den Hartogh [1]
BELLEVILLE – Last year marked the fourth consecutive year that inattentive drivers were the No. 1 cause of death on OPP-patrolled roads.
Over March Break, the Ontario Provincial Police will be carrying out their annual campaign to raise awareness about distracted driving.
Last year, 65 people died on OPP-patrolled roads due to distracted driving. In comparison, there were 55 deaths due to speeding, 53 that were seatbelt-related, and 45 that were alcohol-related. These are known to OPP officers as “the big four.”
“Road deaths linked to distracted drivers will not let up unless every road user says, ‘Enough is enough’ and shows a complete intolerance for what continues to be the most life-threatening driver behaviour on our roads,” Vince Hawkes, the OPP commissioner, said in a press release Thursday.
The campaign aims to get passengers to take a stand against drivers using cellphones or other means of distraction while behind the wheel, said Hawkes.
According to Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, spokesperson for the OPP’s highway safety division, there is no special operation connected to the campaign, although police will be conducting their usual daily enforcement patrols. Getting the word out about distracted driving is the focus, he said.
Laws have been in effect against distracted driving in Ontario since 2009.
“It is particularly frustrating to see this behaviour – which is completely avoidable – cause the kind of carnage that it does. Even one death is one too many,” said Steven Del Duca, Ontario’s minister of transportation.
“Together we can make this behaviour as socially unacceptable as impaired driving,” Del Duca said.
Drivers charged with distracted driving face a fine of $400 plus a victim-surcharge fee and a court fee, as well as the loss of three demerit points from your licence. If you receive a summons or fight your ticket unsuccessfully, the fine rises to $1,000.