(Stock Photo)

Police forces are watching.  Since March 1st, officers with the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service have issued 29 provincial offence notices related to Distracted Driving in Sault Ste. Marie.

Some interesting facts you may not know regarding distracted driving and the fines.

In Ontario, deaths from collisions caused by distracted driving have doubled since 2000.  It is against the law to use any handled communication device while driving.

This includes holding a phone in your hand and talking on speaker phone.

In order for a driver to lawfully use a handheld device while in a motor vehicle 3 conditions must be present.

  1. The motor vehicle must be pulled off of the roadway,
  2. The vehicle must not be impeding traffic, and;
  3. The vehicle must be lawfully parked

If a driver chooses to use a Bluetooth connected device, they are reminded that they can only touch the screen momentarily to activate or deactivate the hands free function, and only if the device is mounted or secured.

Having a device on your lap is NOT considered to be a mounted or secure place.  Drivers are also reminded that you cannon manipulate the screen on a device to scroll through music, emails, texts or any other information that may be accessible on the device.

Upon conviction, a person will face a set fine of $490.00 and 3 demerit points however they could face a fine of up to $1000.  A novice driver, (G1 or G2) will face the same fine however, upon conviction they will face a 30 day licence suspension for a first conviction, a 90 day suspension for a second conviction and the cancellation of your licence and removal from the Graduated Licensing System for a third conviction.