You'll pay more if caught driving distracted starting next month

YorkRegion.com
Feb. 25, 2014
By Jeremy Grimaldi

Ticket fees for texting while driving are set to nearly double – from $155 to $280 – in Ontario as courts battle a distracted driving epidemic.

York Regional Police traffic unit Sgt. Jason McIlveen is pleased to see the changes, considering he witnesses the practice on a regular basis on York Region roads.

"I see people doing 80 km/h in a single lane with a phone in their hands," he said. "I just shake my head because all it takes is one split second and your car could be in oncoming traffic."

The new fines will kick in March 18 after Ontario Chief Justice Anne-Marie Bonkalo signed off on on the measure last week.

Although demerit points have not yet been included in the changes, Sgt. McIlveen said he thinks it should be considered in the future.

"It's a serious issue in York Region," he said. "My pet peeve is when I see someone making a left hand turn with one hand on the wheel and the other texting on the phone. That's a T-Bone at high speeds that would result in serious injury or fatality."

Almost all drivers can relate to a scenario in which they've had close calls while engaging in distracted driving, he said.

"This is a first step," he added. "We'll have to see if this has an impact and it decreases over time."

Since 2009, York Regional Police officers have handed out 14,358 tickets and 4,400 warnings to motorists using hand-held devices while driving.

The force is cracking down on the habit, as many people have suggested texting while driving could surpass — if it hasn't already — drunk driving as a traffic hazard in Canada.

In January 2014, the force issued 372 tickets, a 29-per-cent increase from last year.

The OPP reports on its website distracted driving plays a role in between 30 and 50 per cent of traffic collisions, but the figure could be much higher due to under reporting.