(ST.MARYS, ON) On Tuesday March 18, 2014, new fines for distracted driving went into effect, increasing from $155 to $280. However as Perth County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers discovered, this was no deterrent for three motorists who felt the need to communicate on their handheld electronic device. One of these three motorists was observed operating an eighteen wheeler through the busy St.Marys downtown while talking on his cell phone.
At approximately 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, a Perth County OPP officer observed the tractor trailer driving east bound on Queen St West in downtown St.Marys, while the male driver was talking on his cell phone. The officer immediately activated the cruiser lights and followed the truck out of the downtown. When the truck driver failed to pull over, the officer activated the cruiser siren and followed the truck for an additional four blocks before the truck driver finally observed the cruiser and stopped his vehicle.
The truck driver was issued a $280 ticket for “drive – hand-held communication deviceâ€Â. The driver was aware of the increased fines and did have the technology for hands-free communication in his truck. The other two drivers were also charged with the same offence.
The Perth County OPP will continue their education and enforcement efforts in combating distracted driving, as it has become the number one factor in motor vehicle related collision deaths on OPP patrolled roadways.