Distracted driving is a growing public safety concern. According to the Ontario Provincial Police, distracted drivers were responsible for 9,115 collisions in Ontario last year and the Canadian Council of Motor Transportation Administrators reports that an average of two people is injured in a distracted driving collision and the number of deaths has doubled since the year 2000.
Motorists play a key role in preventing accidents and keep our roads safe. Halton Region and the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) are running a distracted driving campaign between October 28 to November 8, 2019 encouraging residents to put their phone away and pay attention to the road.
Throughout the two-week period, Halton police will be increasing its enforcement of the distracted driving law on our roads and educating residents and motorists about the impacts of distracted driving – including the law, fines and suspensions. The campaign, “#ItCanWaitHalton”, will focus on the risks of texting and driving through social media, electronic signage and local media outlets.
Collisions and injuries resulting from distracted driving are preventable. Text before you get into your car and put your phone out of sight and out of reach before you start driving. You can also easily report distracted driving through the HRPS’s online Road Watch Online reporting tool.
For more road safety tips, including more information about distracted driving, please visit halton.ca. You can also learn more about the #ItCanWaitHalton campaign and find information about enforcement by visiting haltonpolice.ca.
The Region’s partnership with organizations such as the HRPS helps us remain one of Canada’s safest communities and a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire.