The Ontario Provincial Police are continuing to watch out for distracted drivers.
The OPP in Essex County has started the third week of the STATS initiative (Stop Texting and Travel Safely), in which officers have been focusing efforts on watching for drivers who are talking on their cell phones or texting while behind the wheel. The effort is joint one between the OPP's Traffic Management Unit (TMU) and municipal police departments.
OPP Constable Jim Root said since the initiative began, over 150 drivers in Windsor-Essex have been ticketed for hand-held device violations.
Police would like to remind drivers that they should give the road their full, undivided attention and not use hand-held devices while driving. They should also not send or respond to text messages behind the wheel. If you must take a call, use a hands-free device or pull off the road.
Root said officers will continue to operate unmarked vehicles and adopt non-traditional enforcement practices to catch drivers committing these violations, in an effort to promote traffic safety and avoid crashes caused by distracted drivers.
