Between September 22 and October 31,  members of the Temiskaming Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will be stepping up enforcement in support of a Focus Patrol Initiative.

Focused patrol is a detachment initiative that will deal with issues identified, and over time, hopefully reduce calls for service such as crime, collisions, and victimization.

There will be an increased police presence in areas with high crime rates or where a larger volume of calls for service are being experienced. The OPP will be on patrol utilizing all modes of travel including bicycles, police cruisers, off road vehicles, and foot patrol.

Our goal is to ensure the right resources are focused at the right place, at the right times to prevent crime and increase police efficiency.

Distracted driving is any activity which takes a driver’s attention away from driving. The law makes it illegal for drivers to talk, text, type, and dial or email using hand-held cellphones, or other hand-held communications and entertainment devices.

Text messaging requires:

• Visual attention – taking your eyes off the road
• Manual attention – taking your hands off the wheel, and
• Cognitive attention – taking your mind off what you are doing

Many drivers today tend to view driving as a simple everyday task that requires minimal attention. The reality is that driving is a complex task which requires your full attention.

The dangers of distracted driving are real and the evidence speaks for itself. Drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be in a collision than a driver who is focused on the road.

The fine for using hand-held phones or entertainment devices while driving can be up to $1000 including the victim surcharge and court fees, three demerit points and a three-day driver’s licence suspension. The fine, the points and the suspension time increases with a second and third conviction.

For a first conviction, Novice drivers will face the same fines as regular drivers and will also face a 30 day driver’s licence suspension. For a second conviction the suspension goes up to 90 days, and if you receive a third conviction, your licence will be cancelled and removed from the Graduated Licencing System.

Drivers who drive without due care and attention and allow themselves to be distracted by other activities can also be charged with the more serious offence of Careless Driving, depending on the circumstances.

Police are serious about this deadly driving practise, and the OPP is hopeful that higher fines will help reduce the number of distracted driving-related deaths and collisions on Ontario roads.

Please keep your eyes on the road and not on your apps. No one should lose their life or suffer serious injury because a driver was not devoting his or her full attention to the road.