Distracted driving is one of the most common causes of collisions in Ontario and easily one of the most avoidable.
That is why CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO), the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Toronto Police Services (TPS) and other Traffic Safety Coalition partners are launching Missing — a four-week-long distracted driving campaign — urging drivers to stop distracting behaviour behind the wheel and focus on the road.
Statistics show that drivers who text while behind the wheel are 23 times more likely to crash their vehicle and drivers who talk on their phone are 4-5 times more likely to be involved in a collision.
“This campaign is about getting people to recognize that it only takes a few seconds to completely change their life or the life of someone around them,” remarked Teresa Di Felice, director of Government & Community Relations & Driver Education, CAA SCO. “We all have the ability to change our habits and we are asking people to focus on the road,” said Di Felice.
“If you drive when you are distracted, you are putting yourself, your passengers and other members of the public at risk, often with deadly consequences. You can make a difference by pulling over to a safe location before using or answering your smartphone,” said Don Bell, chief superintendent, Highway Safety Division, OPP.
“Every year we become more and more connected to our mobile devices — break that connection this long weekend, don’t drive distracted and help make our highways safe for all road users,” remarked Acting Inspector Robb Knapper, Toronto Police Service, Traffic Services.
