Ottawa police climb to new heights in distracted driving blitz

Ottawa police are employing a new tactic in their fight against distracted driving: a towering, black Ford F-250 pickup truck from whichofficers can peer down into neighbouringvehicles to see whether other motorists are texting while driving.

"The issue we run into is, drivers now try to hide the cell phone and they keep it down low, out of sight," said Const. TJ Jellinek of the Ottawa police east division traffic unit.

"With this vehicle we're using today we're sitting up very high, and when we pull up to a car we can look right down in and get a really good view of what the driver is doing."

• Despite crackdowns, distracted driving remains a problem across Canada

As of August, Ontario has some of the strictest laws and stiffest penaltiesin the country when it comes to distracted driving. The minimum fine for those caught in the act and convicted is $490and three demerit points.

"What we're seeing out there is people of all ages aretexting. It's a habit that people need to break," saidSgt. Denis Hull,also with the east divisiontraffic unit.

Distracted drivers cause more than 40 per cent of all collisions in the city, Hull said.

In a news release, Ottawa police said the campaign was aimed atreminding driversto "leave the phone alone"to make roads safer.

In Ontario, it's against the law tooperate hand-held communication and electronic devices while driving.It's also illegal to look at display screens that are unrelated to driving.

In Ontario, examples of hand-held devices include:

• iPods.
• GPSand MP3 players.
• Cellphones.
• Smartphones.
• Laptops.
• DVD players.

There are a few cases wherehand-held devices can be used while driving:

• In a vehicle pulled off the roadway or lawfully parked.
• To make a 911 call.
• Transmitting or receiving voice communication on a two-way, CB or mobile radio.

Police, emergency medical services personnel, firefighters and enforcement officers are also permitted touse hand-held devices and viewing display screens while working.

Officers will be out throughout the day, ticketing distracted drivers.

Police said the results for the blitz would be made available later this week.