Week Long Campaign Catches Speeders and Distracted Drivers

In response to the Ministry of Transportation Ontario’s recent campaign #putdownthephone, Woodstock Police recently launched their summer-long distracted driving campaign. The campaign began on June 27th, saw over ninety drivers charged in a week period, ending July 3, 2016.

The charges included two of the most common causes of collisions amongst motorists, distracted driving which saw 12 drivers charged and speeding which saw the highest rate of offenders, 57 drivers.

Within the one week period, Woodstock Police also launched their RIDE program and surprisingly, only one motorist was given a three-day suspension. The Woodstock Police Department have confirmed that they will increase their presence on the roads this summer, with greater presence surrounding the August and September long weekends.

MTO’s #putdownthephone Campaign Geared to Distracted Drivers

The Ministry of Transportation Ontario, MTO launched their #putdownthephone campaign in June 2016 with one of a series of videos that they hope will grab the attention of drivers and make them think twice when it comes to reaching for the phone while driving. To see the video, visit, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcc3VG1TeaU To support the campaign, the MTO has involved social media, asking drivers to change their profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter to their “See the Road” image. To find out more about how you can participate in the program, visit http://twibbon.com/support/i-will-putdownthephone

Distracted driving continues to be the leading cause of collisions. With efforts such as those shown by the Woodstock Police and the MTO, perhaps the battle against distracted driving will be won, one driver at a time!