Ontario Distracted Driver Law Issues 470 Fines in First Month

March 3, 2010

During the first month of Ontario's new distracted driver law, provincial police issued 470 charges to people caught breaking the rules.

The law which came into effect on October 26 makes it illegal for drivers to talk, text, type, dial or email using hand-held devices such as cell phones. Calls to 911 are an exception. It is also illegal for drivers to look at display screens unrelated to driving such as GPS devices, laptops or DVD players.

A three-month grace period ended in January, and during the educational grace period police issued more than 3,300 warnings instead of the $155 ticket.

Between February 1 and 28 Ontario Provincial Police laid 470 charges and issued 468 warnings, which officers can give on a discretionary basis. Those numbers don't include fines or warnings issued by local police forces around the province. The Greater Toronto Area, the province's most populous region, saw the most fines issued during February at 155.

If a driver challenges the ticket in court the judge has the discretion to knock the fine down to as low as $60 or boost it to up to $500.

Canadian Press