Members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) West Region will be out in force during this month's "Stay Focused" campaign.
The campaign, which runs from March 1 until April 4, is aimed reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by inattentive driving on Ontario's roads and highways.
Over the next month, drivers can expect heightened enforcement of distracted driving laws on West Region roads and highways, as officers will be taking a zero-tolerance approach with offenders.
In 2024, 45 drivers lost their lives in West Region in crashes attributed to inattentive driving, compared to 15 deaths in 2023.
This represents a 200 per cent increase in just one year. Provincially, 80 people lost their lives in collisions last year in which inattentive driving was the primary contributing factor. That's an increase of 40 per cent over 2023, when 57 people died in crashes involving an inattentive driver.
Distracted driving refers to all forms of distracted or inattentive driving such as adjusting a vehicle's entertainment system or GPS unit or stereo, eating and drinking, using a hand-held communication or hand-held entertainment device, self-grooming or tending to children in the back seat.
Police remind drivers that the penalties for individuals convicted of distracted driving are severe.
The OPP is encouraging people of all ages, especially passengers, to take a firm stand against those who endanger their lives and the lives of others by using their cell phones or engaging in other forms of distractions behind the wheel.
