Distracted driving fines to jump

(Updated)

The cost of getting caught texting or using handheld devices while driving is set to nearly double.

As of next month, the fine for distracted driving will be $280. And while police forces across the province are applauding the move, some would like the penalty to be even tougher. They say stiffer penalties are needed because quite simply some drivers are not getting the message, and people are getting killed.

People breaking the law are not that hard to spot. In the driver’s seat, head down as they try to hide what they’re doing – texting. Some don’t even try to hide it, holding their cellphone in their hands while taking or making calls.

“I see it all the time on the highway, it’s frightening.”

The ministry of transportation says a driver who is using a handheld device while driving is four times likely to crash their car than a person who is focused on the road.

As OPP constable Graham Williamson puts it, “that’s all it takes is that split second of inattention and disaster can result.”

Williamson says increasing the fine for distracted driving from $155 to $280 will hopefully deter drivers from using handheld devices. “Right now we’re looking at 78 collisions involving fatalities in 2013 that were a result of distracted driving and only about 50 odd were as a result of impaired driving, so statistically it’s a greater problem.”

“Seems kind of unreasonable however there are tons of people on their cell phones and whatever I mean I’m guilty of it.”

“Unless it’s an emergency text I don’t do it otherwise.”

“I’m an ex-texter and driver.”

Hamilton Police Chief Glenn De Caire thinks the penalty should be stiffer. “The fact there is a monetary fine is not changing the behaviours on the road and we need to change the behaviour on the road. One way to do that is to add demerit points to the offence. The spin off to that then becomes the impact to an individual’s insurance.”

We asked Hamilton, Halton and Niagara Police to give us some numbers to show how many people were caught and charged with distracted driving.

In the last two years, Hamilton Police ticketed 8,613 drivers, Halton 8,477.

Niagara Police gave CHCH News statistics that go back to 2009. They’ve ticketed 3,651 people for distracted driving since it became illegal to use handheld devices.