(MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH PERTH, ON) On Tuesday November 19, 2013, two Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers from the Highway Safety Division, Mount Forest Traffic Management Unit, were in Listowel conducting a short seat belt and cell phone blitz.
During the short midday one and a half our blitz, a disturbing number of seat belt and cell phone violations were observed. A total of seven seatbelt tickets and five tickets for using hand-held phones or entertainment devices while driving were issued to the offending motorists.
Of the five distracted driving tickets, two were issued to transport truck drivers one of which was talking on the cell phone while the other was texting. Another driver operating a pickup truck, towing a loaded livestock trailer was texting, while his 10 month old son was in the back seat of the vehicle.
Motor vehicle occupants not wearing restraints and distracted driving/ inattentive driving are two of the four major causes of fatalities and serious injury on our roads. (Impaired driving and aggressive driving are the other two).
Motorists are urged to wear their seatbelts and refrain from operating their electronic devices while behind the wheel. There is significant research that indicates that distracted drivers are as likely to cause collisions and serious injury as impaired drivers. It is the responsibility for every driver to devote all of their attention to driving.