Does Halton police chief’s tweet at drive-thru send mixed message?

With police repeatedly warning the public about not using a handheld device while driving, why would a police chief not lead by example?

Halton regional police chief Steve Tanner tweeted a photo while behind the wheel at a Tim Hortons drive-thru on Friday morning.

In response, one person tweeted back questioning why the police chief was using his phone while driving.

  However, Chief Tanner said he put his vehicle in park while he waited in line to take the photo.

The same person who wrote the initial reply to chief Tanner joking that he was only giving him a hard time. Below is some online reaction to the chief’s tweet. Click here for a mobile-friendly version.

The chief’s tweets comes as the provincial government is expected to introduce heftier fines for distracted driving at the Ontario legislature after it resumes on Oct. 20.

Under the proposed legislation, a driver caught using his or her phone while driving will face a fine of up to $1,000 and three demerit points.

If the new bill is passed, the law would be the toughest anti-distracted driving law in the country.

Under the current law, distracted driving carries a $280 fine.

In 2013, distracted driving contributed to 78 deaths in Ontario compared to 57 for impaired driving. Below is an infographic of distracted driving deaths statistics in Ontario from 2009 to 2014. Click here for a mobile-friendly version.