In an effort to prevent distracted driving, the Province of Ontario is enforcing new laws as of January 1, 2019. Individuals committed with distracted driving offences will face harsher punishments.
Ontario’s new distracted driving laws will take effect on January 1, 2019. Under the new laws, those convicted of a distracted driving offence will be penalized with fines, demerit points, and a licence suspension.
What to expect:
- 3 days suspension and a $1,000 fine for your first offence
- 7 days suspension and a $2,000 fine for your second offence
- 30 days suspension, a $3,000 fine, and 6 demerit points for 3 or more offences
What is considered distracted driving?
Often, we think distracted driving means using our cell phone to talk or text, however, the Government of Ontario categorizes distracted driving offences with a longer list of infractions, which include:
- Using your cell phone to talk, text, check a map or change a playlist
- Reading
- Typing into a GPS
- Holding an electronic device
- Eating
How did distracted driving statistics impact these changes?
According to the statistics on the Government of Ontario’s website, deaths from collisions caused by distracted driving have doubled since 2000. A driver using a cell phone is four times more likely to crash than a driver who is focused on the road. Also, every half hour, one person is injured in a distracted driving collision.
Distracted driving is a growing concern. Ensure your safety and the safety of other drivers by being alert behind the wheel; don’t become a part of the distracted driving statistics.
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