NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
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The Ontario Provincial Police were highly visible during the recent Distracted Driving Campaign (March 11 - 17, 2019) in their ongoing efforts to seek out drivers found holding or using a hand-held electronic device while driving.
During the province-wide initiative, the OPP laid a total of 1,508 distracted driving charges. Officers laid an additional 51 distraction-related careless driving charges against drivers who were caught dividing their attention between driving and some other activity that made roads unsafe. To date this year, the OPP has laid over 2,000 distracted driving charges.
In Collingwood and The Blue Mountains, OPP charged 12 motorists with distracted driving, issued an additional 60 provincial offences notices under the highway traffic act, and charged one driver with impaired driving.
Grey County OPP charged nine motorists with distracted driving during the campaign. Although the campaign is over, officers will continue to enforce the distracted driving legislation and encourage motorists to put down the phone and focus on driving.
The OPP is reminding drivers that the increased distracted driving penalties that took effect on January 1, 2019 may include a fine increase up to $1,000, three demerit points and a three-day licence suspension.
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