With another long weekend underway, the Ontario Provincial Police are again warning drivers to pay attention, drive sober, and remember the speed limit.
The OPP says inattentive driving, though has become a bigger problem than either drunk driving or speeding.
Since January 1, driver distraction was reported as the primary cause of 6,360 road crashes. A total of 47 people have died in collisions caused by an inattentive driver, up from 39 by this time in 2016.
"Our collision data is compelling evidence that drivers who text, talk on their cell phone or are distracted in some other way, take a tremendous toll on the safety of those who share the road with them," says OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes. "Public complacency about inattentive driving can be just as dangerous as the behavior itself. Until drivers, passengers and the general public take a firm stand against this road safety issue, these tragedies are expected to continue."
In contrast, speed was the primary cause of 4,700 collisions, and 1,158 incidents involved a driver who had consumed alcohol or drugs.
Police say the first thing the general public can do to help is to keep cell phones out of sight while driving. Pull over to a safe location if you need to use your phone. Passengers should speak up and voice their concerns about safety when traveling with a distracted driver. Finally, police ask the public do their part to spread the word by highlighting the dangers of distracted driving on social media.
