OPP to crack down on distracted drivers over long weekend

Ontario Provincial Police officers will be cracking down on distracted drivers this long weekend.

Officers patrolling the province's roads will be enforcing stricter laws that came into force on September 1 that set a fine of $490 and three demerit points for drivers caught driving while distracted.

For novice drivers, the penalty can also include a minimum 30-day suspension.

• Distracted driving penalties increase under new Ontario law

Police blame distracted driving for 41 deaths so far this year on OPP-patrolled roads. The number of accidents caused by distracted driving is also up 20 percent compared to this time last year, police say.

"We do find that distraction and inattention are one of the leading causes of death on highways," OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt told CBC News on Friday morning.

"We certainly know that increased fines will hopefully change driver behaviour. But the primary motivation for someone to keep that phone down is for their own safety. We want everyone to get home to their loved ones at the end of their drive."

For drivers headed to cottage country, four ONroute Highway Service Centres now have designated "text stops" where drivers can stop and use their phones. The text stops are located at the service centres in King City, Cambridge North, Woodstock and Port Hope.