A crackdown on drivers in Southwestern Ontario has resulted in hundreds of charges.
As part of the “Stay Focused” campaign, members of the OPP West Region handed out 232 charges under Ontario’s distracted driving laws from March 1 to April 4.
Warnings were also distributed to 84 drivers pulled over for inattentive driving.
For Derek Rogers, the media relations coordinator for OPP West Region, the results came with little surprise.
“If you go up to a stoplight, it’s not uncommon to see somebody looking down at their laps and fiddling around with their phones and doing things that are not related to driving,” Rogers told CTV News.
Inattentive driving can include any activity which pulls your focus from the road, Rogers said.
This could be texting, applying makeup, eating, or even tending to kids in the back seat.
Because of the possible repercussions, Rogers said drivers should not be let off the hook.
“The message that we want to provide to all motorists is really devote your attention to the road. Things can happen quickly, and the act of driving requires your full attention because things happen so quickly,” Rogers noted.
The campaign, which has previously been conducted in other jurisdictions, operated in 13 OPP detachments.
At third on the list was the Essex Detachment, which saw 27 charges laid.
Though the blitz will generate thousands, Rogers said the intent is not to generate revenue.
“The focus of any traffic-related campaign is to change the behaviour that’s dangerous, that endangers the driver themselves or the others who share the road with them,” Rogers added.
In some cases, if convicted, charges can result in a $1,000 fine, demerit points, and a three-day license suspension.
Due to the success, Rogers said he would not be surprised to see the “Stay Focused” campaign return in future years.
