OPP to use ‘heightened enforcement’ this weekend to crack down on distracted drivers

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will be cracking down with force this coming weekend by specifically targeting distracted drivers.

It’s known that it’s illegal to use your hand held device while driving and if caught talking, texting, surfing the web, or emailing you could face a fine that tops $155. In a press release today the OPP revealed some unfortunate stats: 47 of the 177 people killed in motor vehicle collisions in OPP jurisdiction involved distracted driving, compared to 32 impaired driving-related collision deaths.

This coming Labour Day weekend will see the OPP hit the streets with ‘heightened enforcement’ to educate and inform people of the rules of the road, plus ticket those who disobey the law.

Chief Superintendent Don Bell, Commander of the OPP Highway Safety Division, stated “If drivers do not have the good sense to stop this dangerous behaviour on their own, I encourage passengers to take responsibility for their own safety by speaking up. If you are a passenger in a vehicle and the driver is not completely focused on driving, is talking on a cell phone or even worse – texting, remind them that they are endangering your life and that you want them to stop.”