More than 200 motorists in 10 days were charged with driving distracted in the spring campaign that wrapped up March 31.
The Spring Distracted Driving Campaign started March 21 and saw police focusing on drivers who aren’t focusing on the road.
Police charged 218 drivers, almost double the number of distracted driving tickets issued daily throughout the region.
Last year, Peel police charged 4,952 drivers with using electronic devices while driving. That’s an average of 14 per day.
It’s a serious problem in the region, Peel police Chief Jennifer Evans told a Town Hall meeting in Brampton Thursday night. She noted 168 people have died on Brampton and Mississauga roads in the last five years.
The penalty for distracted driving is a set fine of $490 and three demerit points. If the ticket goes to court, a judge can increase that fine up to $1,000. A novice driver (on the graduated licencing program) would received a 30-day licence suspension on a first conviction, a 90-day suspension on a second conviction, and a licence cancellation for a third conviction.
Source: The Brampton Guardian