Adventures In Driving

The weekend time change means it stays darker, longer in the morning. It also means more than a few people might be feeling a little sleepy this morning. Driver fatigue a leading cause of collisions. Add into that mix distracted driving and there’s the potential for many crashes today. OPP launched their annual distracted driving blitz this morning. Each year for the last three years they have laid 20-thousand distracted driving charges – more than double the number of impaired driving charges. Last year, 69 people died in distracted driving-related crashes, compared to 61 speed-related, 51 seat belt-related and 45 alcohol/drug-related deaths. “If you are texting, talking on your cell phone or pre-occupied with other activities while behind the wheel, you are not driving safely. It does not suffice to keep your eyes on the road. Driving involves sharing space with drivers, their passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians and it is impossible to do so safely unless your eyes and mind are solely focused on driving,” says OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes.