A recent survey revealed that distracted driving, specifically using your wireless device while driving, was still on the rise. The Ontario government banned using handheld devices behind the wheel back in April 2009, with fines reaching $280 if caught talking, texting, surfing the web, or even holding a smartphone. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne called the addiction to cellphone use while driving is “a real problem.”
The Toronto Police recently decided to take a different route to bring awareness to the issue. In a week-long blitz called “That Text or Call Could End It All,” Toronto police hit the streets in a hearse and started ticketing drivers using their mobile device.
Constable Clint Stibbe stated about the publicity stunt, “When you drive a motor vehicle you need to be focused on the task at hand. When you start using that cell phone, you start risking everybody’s life… Over the last two years, we’ve seen three fatalities that we can directly attribute to cell phone use.”
One driver named Alex was caught using his smartphone at a red light and said, “I was a little shocked to see a hearse beside me and an officer step out of it.”
Since 2011, the Toronto police have issued over 55,000 distracted driving-related tickets and have also seen three fatalities.
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
