City launches education campaign on distracted driving

Implemented via the Integrated Road Safety Program, the Distractions Impair! Driving Requires Your Full Attention campaign comes alongside changes to provincial regulations starting Monday, Oct. 26. The new legislation will make it illegal for drivers to talk, text, type, dial or e-mail on hand-held devices, with the potential of fines up to $500. “Distracted driving continues to be a serious problem on our roads,” said Mayor Larry O’Brien in a statement released on Thursday, Oct. 22. “I am hopeful that the introduction of this new legislation, along with the City of Ottawa initiative, will encourage drivers to make responsible decisions that will contribute to the safety of all road users.”

Between 2006 and 2008, an estimated 5,500 local collisions were caused by driver inattention, according to city information, including eight deaths, almost 2,000 injuries and “social costs” pegged at $300 million. “Looking away from the road for as little as two seconds doubles a driver’s odds for being involved in a collision,” added superintendent Charles Bordeleau of the Ottawa Police Service, with distracted driving also including eating, drinking or adjusting in-vehicle controls while behind the wheel. “Unfortunately, this moment’s lapse can have fatal consequences that leave lifelong impacts on the friends and families of loved ones who perish in a collision.”

Drivers can also be charged with careless driving at police discretion, meaning an automatic six demerit points, fines up to $1,000, a possible six-month jail term and even a suspended license for up to two years.