All it takes is seconds of taking your eyes off the road while driving to have an accident. In fact, in Ontario, every 30 minutes a person is injured from distracted driving. The Ministry of Transportation reports that collisions caused from distracted driving have doubled since 2000.
With those staggering stats, the City’s Road Safety Committee is encouraging residents to take action to tackle those stats. If you can’t resist looking at your phone, lock your phone in the glove box or in your purse in the backseat. In fact, it’s not just phones and hand-held devices that take driver’s focus on the road. Activities like eating, putting on makeup, reading maps, choosing a play list and reading can also be distracting.
The City’s Road Safety Committee reminds residents to keep your focus on driving while you are at the wheel. Remember, it doesn’t matter whether you are driving on the highway or stopped at a red light, distraction can lead to fines, careless driving charges and accidents. Be safe – put your phone away when driving. It could save your own or somebody else’s life.
Peel Regional Police are doing a distracted driving blitz from April 23 to 29 and will be laying fines for distracted driving offences.
For more information on distracted driving, visit the Ministry of Transportation’s distracted driving webpage.