Repeat distracted driver charged a third time

Three weeks into its distracted driving crackdown, Greater Sudbury Police Service has issued 265 offence notices for distracted driving.

Two of these drivers also had suspended driver's licences, and one driver was given a summons to appear in court as a result of having two previous distracted driving charges.

During the month of April 2015, Greater Sudbury Police Service is ramping up enforcement on offences relating to distracted driving.

Activities will be conducted throughout Greater Sudbury to raise awareness and increase enforcement of distracted driving laws, said a news release.

“The public must learn that holding or using a mobile device while operating a motor vehicle will not be tolerated,” said a news release.

“The priority of our service is road safety and community wellness; therefore, our TMU will be patrolling daily, watching for offenders and stopping the vehicle before a tragedy occurs. There is risk associated with texting while operating a motor vehicle, which is the primary reason why distracted driving is becoming the No. 1 cause of fatalities on Ontario highways."

Risks of distracted driving:
Good drivers keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road. Research shows that drivers who use cellphones are four times more likely to be in a collision than drivers who focus on the road. When a driver takes their eyes off the road for more than two seconds, the risk of a collisions doubles.

In Ontario, it's against the law to:
-operate hand-held communication and electronic entertainment devices while you're driving.
-view display screens unrelated to your driving.

Examples of hand-held devices include:
-iPods
-GPS and MP3 players
-cellphones
-smart phones
-laptops
-DVD players

What's hands-free?
A hands-free device is any device that you do not touch, hold or manipulate while driving (other than to activate or deactivate it). For example, actions such as dialling or scrolling through contacts, or manually programming a GPS device are not safe and not allowed.