The Ontario Provincial Police are warning March Break travellers; do not be caught off guard by harsher penalties for distracted driving.
The March Break marks the first busy travel period of the year, and the OPP have launched a new campaign with a particular focus on those drivers who talk or text on their cell phones while they drive.
"When you are driving, safety has to be your first priority," said Minister of Transportation Jeff Yurek. "Distracted driving is a real danger to you, your passengers, and others on the road. No call or text is ever worth the risk."
On January 1, the penalty for distracted driving was changed to include a fine of up to $1,000, three demerit points, and a three-day license suspension. The more charges a driver wracks up, the stiffer the penalties and new drivers will have their license suspended even longer.
"Among the most dangerous drivers are those who continue to ignore the facts and convince themselves that using a cell phone while driving is not dangerous and forms some part of today's driving culture," said Interim OPP Commissioner, Gary Couture. "Never let a driver use this, or any other justification for using a hand-held device while driving. It is as dangerous a driving behaviour today as it was when Ontario's distracted driving laws came into force ten years ago."
Last year, 55 people died in distracted driving crashes on OPP-patrolled roads. There were also 9,115 crashes linked to drivers who were not paying attention, and 13,529 distracted driving charges were laid by provincial police.