Peel Police Launch Distracted Driving Campaign

Are you known to whip out your phone to send a quick text at a red light? If so, the police are watching you.

Peel police recently announced that they're launching a distracted driving campaign, so prolific texter-drivers should take heed.

The blitz is timely, as the Ministry of Transportation-Ontario (MTO) reports that the number of deaths caused by distracted driving has doubled since 2000. Studies also show that a driver using a cellphone is four times more likely to crash than a driver focused on the road and his or her surroundings.

"Distracted driving is a problem that impacts the entire community. In an effort to educate and enforce the rules of the road as it pertains to distracted driving and other related offences, Peel Regional Police has launched a Distracted Driving Campaign," Peel police said in a statement. "The campaign will run through until mid-November 2017 when Festive RIDE begins."

The goal of the Peel-wide campaign is to improve road safety by reducing distracted driving.

Police are asking drivers receiving important texts or phone calls to please pull over before checking their device.

Objectives of the campaign include:

• Educating the public regarding the dangers of distracted driving.
• Zero tolerance as it pertains to distracted driving.
• Reduce the number of serious collisions due to distracted driving.
• Improve road safety, driving performance and awareness by discouraging drivers from engaging in distracted driving behaviors.

So there you have it—save the texting for when you arrive at your destination.