Ottawa Police launches distracted driving education, awareness and enforcement campaign

Most drivers know that impaired driving is dangerous, but other behaviours and distractions, like cell phone use can be just as dangerous.

Distracted Driving is expected to be the number one cause of injuries and fatalities on our roadways, surpassing collisions involving impaired driving, by 2016.

Last year (2013), 40% of collisions in Ottawa involved distracted driving.  The main distraction for drivers is cell phone use.

“We live in a culture where most people have cell phones,” said Ottawa Police Traffic Sergeant Denis Hull.  “We use them all the time and it’s tempting to use them while driving.  Police want to remind drivers that texting or talking while driving is both dangerous and illegal.”

That is why the Ottawa Police Service has implemented a distracted driving awareness, education and enforcement campaign called Leave the Phone Alone.

“Drivers, you need to pay full attention to your driving at all times” said Ottawa Police Sgt. Denis Hull of the East Traffic Section. “Even an instant of distraction can result in a collision.”

Distracted driving collisions are on the rise and are a concern for all road users. Between 2009 and 2013, there were 23283 collisions resulting in 6463 injuries and 18 fatalities in Ottawa.

One of the goals of the Leave the Phone Alone campaign is to change behaviour around cell phone use while driving.

To demonstrate the severity of the problem, Ottawa Police conducted a four day city-wide traffic enforcement blitz was conducted targeting cell phone use by drivers.  Between November 18 and 21, a total of 486 Provincial Offence Notices were issued; and 261 of these were related to cell phone use by drivers.

“We can hand out fines, but police want drivers to realize they are putting themselves and everyone else at risk when they use their phones while driving,” said Sgt. Hull.  “No text is worth your life or that of others.  Leave the phone alone.”

Texting takes driver attention away from pedestrians, vehicles and hazards on the roadway. For example, an attentive driver takes 1.5 seconds to react to changing conditions.  A texting driver takes twice as long, or 3 seconds.  The extra time to needed to react can be the difference between avoiding a collision and colliding with something or someone.

Texting drivers are four times more likely to be involved in a collision than attentive drivers.  Drivers between 16 and 24 are the most likely age group to be involved in a distracted driving collision.  Most likely this can be attributed to the fact that they are typically the least experienced drivers and are much more tech savvy and comfortable with technology.

The Leave The Phone Alone campaign is a reminder to all drivers to focus on driving.  “Even if you are stopped at a traffic light, it is illegal to use your phone,” said Sgt. Hull.  “You can text or make a call when you arrive at your destination or safely pull over and stop before using the phone.”

The Highway Traffic Act offence Drive – Hand Held Communication Device carries a total fine of $280.00.

There is a role for everyone to play when it comes to changing behaviour around texting and driving.

  • Drivers can simply put the phone away while driving,
  • Passengers can remind drivers to focus on their driving if they reach for the phone,
  • Children can remind parents not to drive distracted,
  • Phone users can first ensure that the person they are calling or texting isn’t driving.  If they are, tell them to wait until they can safely talk or text

Take the pledge not to drive distracted.  Go to leavethephonealone.ca to take the pledge and commit to always driving without the distraction of your phone. 

Let’s make our roads safe for everyone; Leave the Phone Alone!