For the first time since distracted driving laws were introduced in Ontario in 2009, the OPP report that road deaths due to driver inattention could double the number of impaired-related deaths this year.
As of mid-August, the OPP investigated 38 fatal crashes in which an inattentive driver was involved, compared to 19 deaths involving an impaired driver.
While both of these driving behaviours are equally threatening to the safety of road users, this latest data has the OPP calling for a heightened awareness of the high number of distracted drivers and the risks they pose on our roads.
Provincial police are preparing to launch a Distracted Driving Campaign over the Labour Day weekend.
In a news release, OPP Deputy Commissioner Brad Blair, Provincial Commander of Traffic Safety and Operational Support, stated, "Don’t be a passenger of a distracted driver. Recognize that they are endangering your life. Speak up and insist that they focus on the road and on safe driving. By not doing so, you are contributing to the problem." "Since 2009, our officers have investigated more than 600 road deaths that involved an inattentive driver. Consider how many of those innocent lives could have been saved had someone else in the vehicle intervened."