A video of a York Regional Police (YRP) officer using their smartphone while driving is doing rounds on TikTok and sparking frustration from Canadians.
Frustrations stem from laws that could see civilians face a license suspension, hefty fines or even jail time for using their phones while driving. However, as the Toronto Star points out, the Highway Traffic Act includes exemptions to the distracted driving rules for police, fire and ambulance drivers.
@static.nick95 @York Regional Police @O.P.P explain this one..🤔🤔 #yrp #opp #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage #textinganddriving ♬ Music Sounds Better With You x Fake ID – J-Key
Matthew Wood, a former Toronto Police Service officer, also told the Star that police are “some of the most distracted drivers on our streets” because of parts of the job, like listening and responding to radio dispatches, using the in-car computer to run checks on vehicles and, of course, actually driving. Wood couldn’t think of a situation that would necessitate texting and driving since “that’s what the radio is for.”
Wood also called the act “hypocritical” and said that distracted driving laws were intended to deter this “exact behaviour.”
The YRP told the Star that it was “looking into this incident to determine what the circumstances were at the time.”
Header image credit: Screenshot of video from static.nick95
Source: @static.nick95 Via: Toronto Star
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