(PERTH COUNTY, ON) – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) wrapped up its Distracted Driving campaign which ran from March 14 – 20, 2015.
This campaign received tremendous support from the public, media and numerous road safety partners who remained engaged in getting out the messaging pertaining to the dangers of distracted driving.
During this campaign Perth County OPP officers, when not answering calls for service were actively looking for drivers who were talking, texting or gaming on their electronic devices while driving.
At the conclusion of this week long campaign it was disappointing to note that the distracted driving charges laid in Perth County were up 42% from a similar campaign in 2014. A total of 54 drivers were issued a $280 ticket compared to 38 drivers a year ago. This percentage increase is close to the 47% increase in distracted driving charges laid by OPP officers in South Western Ontario this year compared to last year.
“The Perth County OPP will continue its road safety education and enforcement as we want to keep roadways in Perth County safer. Perhaps this campaign has contributed to creating greater awareness and thus may prevent the tragedy of a serious collision caused by a distracted driver.” Acting Inspector Brad Thompson Interim Perth County OPP Detachment Commander