Fine for distracting driving goes up as Toronto police launch Tuesday blitz
Posted March 18, 2014 5:45 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto police are cracking down on distracted driving the same day that a fine increase goes into effect.
The base fine for distracted driving is increasing from $125 to $225 on Tuesday, but the total amount will be $280 due to a victim surcharge.
The one-day distracted driving enforcement blitz launched at 6 a.m. 680News reporter Carl Hanstke did a ride-along with Const. Clint Stibbe with Traffic Services.
Officers are patrolling the roads and highways looking for drivers talking, texting, typing, dialing or emailing on their hand-held devices while behind the wheel.
Hanstke and Const. Stibbe spotted several drivers texting while behind the wheel, and in one case, reading e-mail on a smartphone.
The blitz comes one day after the Ontario government tabled legislation that would impose three demerit points and a maximum fine of up $1,000 if convicted.
Police say distracted driving is any action that a driver engages in that takes their focus away from the safe operation of a motor vehicle.
According to police, distracted drivers are 23 times more likely to get involved in a crash. Government statistics also show that distracted driving has surpassed drunk driving as the leading cause of fatal crashes on Ontario roads.
Since 2011, Toronto police have laid over 55,000 charges for offences related to distracted driving.
According to the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), driver distraction is a factor in more than four million crashes each year in North America and was the No. 1 cause of fatal crashes on OPP-patrolled roads in 2013.
