The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) and Halton Region have compiled statistics from the recent 2019 Project It Can Wait Halton road safety initiative.
Over the course of the two-week campaign, which ran from Monday, October 28th to Friday, November 8th, HRPS officers focused on enhanced enforcement of distracted driving law and education about the risks associated with distracted driving.
During the 2019 Project It Can Wait Halton campaign, HRPS officers issued a total of 199 Provincial Offence Notice Charges and 9 warnings.
"#ItCanWaitHalton was a public enforcement campaign that aimed to positively influence driver behaviour and reduce the use of handheld devices while driving," said HRPS Deputy Chief Jeff Hill. "Enforcement of distracted driving will continue to be a priority for our officers, but our hope is that through continued education there will be a reduced need for enforcement going forward."
HRPS and Halton Region rolled out an awareness campaign, educating residents and motorist about the impacts of distracted driving through our websites, the media, social media, digital and print signage. The #ItCanWaitHalton hashtag garnered 707,130 impressions over social media while our digital and print signage were passed by motorists over 5 million times during the course of the campaign.
"Halton Region and the Halton Regional Police Service continue to work together to ensure our roads and communities remain safe. I encourage drivers to take an active role in preventing accidents by putting their phone away and focusing on driving safely," said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. "When you are behind the wheel, everything else can wait."
The Halton Regional Police Service and Halton Region would like to remind drivers that Ontario`s distracted driving law states that while you are driving, including when stopped in traffic or at a red light, it is illegal to:
- use a phone or other hand-held wireless communication device to text or call– you can only touch a device to call 911 in an emergency;
- use a hand-held electronic entertainment device, such as a tablet or portable gaming console;
- view display screens unrelated to driving, such as watching a video; and
- program a GPS device, except by voice commands.
Residents are reminded that they can report a distracted driver through the Halton Regional Police Service`s Road Watch Online reporting tool. To learn more, visit haltonpolice.ca. For more tips on how to avoid distracted driving visit halton.ca.