Saugeen Shores Police Service will be conducting a traffic enforcement blitz targeting drivers who are using hand held devices.
The road safety operation is set to start on Friday, January 29th and end on February 12th.
Police say distracted driving is any of the following:
Using a phone or other hand-held wireless communication device to text or dial — you can only touch a device to call 911 in an emergency
Using a hand-held electronic entertainment device, such as a tablet or portable gaming console to view display screens unrelated to driving, such as watching a video, program a GPS device, except by voice commands.
Police say the penalties for distracted driving escalate after a first offence. According to the provincial government’s website Ontario.ca, “In Ontario, deaths and collisions caused by distracted driving have double since 2000.”
Saugeen Shores police say, “Our officers strive to make our roads the safest they can be. Road safety is a shared effort between the police and the public. A true measure of the success of our enforcement efforts is not how many violators we contact, but how many drivers we observe or contact that are following the rules of the road.”
Police say Harsher penalties for distracted driving have been in effect since January 1, 2019.
A Class and G Class licences
First conviction:
A fine of $615, if settled out of court (includes a victim surcharge and the court fee)
A fine of up to $1,000 if a summons is received or if you fight the ticket in court and lose
three demerit points
3-day suspension
Second conviction
A fine of $615, if settled out of court (includes a victim surcharge and the court fee)
A fine of up to $2,000 if a summons is received or if you fight the ticket in court and lose
six demerit points
7-day suspension
Third and any further conviction(s)
A fine of $615, if settled out of court (includes a victim surcharge and the court fee)
A fine of up to $3,000 if a summons is received or if you fight the ticket in court and lose
six demerit points
30-day suspension
Novice Drivers
Police say, if you hold a G1, G2, M1 or M2 licence, and are convicted of distracted driving, you’ll face the same fines as drivers with A to G licences. But you won’t receive any demerit points.
Instead of demerit points you’ll face longer suspensions:
A 30-day licence suspension for a first conviction
A 90-day licence suspension for a second conviction
cancellation of your licence and removal from the Graduated Licensing System (GLS) for a third conviction
Police say in order to get your licence back you’d have to redo the GLS program.