Mar 20, 2014 in News Car Accident

Car Accident: Distracted drivers could lose 3 demerit points if convicted

It's official, the Ontario Provincial Police have declared that distracted driving is the number one killer on our province's roads. More people died due to distracted driving than any other reason. In 2013, there were 78 fatal crashes related to distracted driving, 57 fatal crashes related to impaired driving and 44 fatal crashes related to speeding, says the OPP. These statistics were released amidst the OPP's Distracted Driving campaign which ran from March 14. Also, distracted driving fines increased to $225 from $155 on March 18. The Ontario government has also proposed legislation to penalize distracted drivers three demerit points and raise the amount a judge can fine a driver to $300 to $1,000 from $60 to $500. This tougher stance has been applauded by Calgary's police chief, according to CBC News. You might not think it's a big deal to fiddle with the dials on your radio or send a quick text message, but drivers who do so are endangering others by: taking their eyes off the road, taking their hands off the steering wheel and taking their focus away from driving. While it seems like common sense, unfortunately people still aren't listening. An Edmonton man was watching an episode of a comedy TV show while driving on a highway in a snowstorm. Concerned drivers had called the police after seeing his erratic driving; the man looked like he had trouble driving in his lane, according to the Canadian Press. Alberta Sheriffs easily spotted the vehicle thanks to the white glow emitting from the man's laptop on his dashboard. In Alberta, distracted driving fines are $172. The dangers of distracted driving aren't simply hearsay. Recent research by Virginia Tech analyzed the driving behaviour of young drivers between the ages of 15 to 20 years old, who account for six per cent of drivers in the U.S., but are involved in ten per cent of accident fatalities. They found that novice drivers were eight times more likely to hit another vehicle or have a near miss when they were dialing a phone, seven to eight times more likely to hit another vehicle when they were reaching for an object and four times more likely to hit another vehicle when they were texting. A car crash video recorded by a driver's dashcam shows a Manitoba man failing to yield on the side road of a highway. The video shows that the other driver's eyes aren't on the road and he's talking on his cellphone. The driver with the dashcam attempted to swerve around the vehicle, but it was too late. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. Samsung recently began testing an app in Singapore that prevents drivers from texting while behind the wheel. The app uses the phone's sensor fusion technology and GSM cell towers to determine the speed you're travelling at, which lets the app know whether you're driving or not, according to VentureBeat. If the app can tell you're driving, it will hold all your phone calls, messages and social media alerts and sends out auto text messages too. While the government is also encouraging automakers to install technology to curb bad driving habits in all vehicles, people still need to exercise common sense when it comes to staying focused and alert while handling a vehicle. Other ways to prevent fatal collisions includes buckling your seatbelt whenever you're in a vehicle and not rushing through countdown crosswalks. Unfortunately, accident victims will be compensated less in damage claims due to a change in prejudgment interest rates by the Ontario government. Motor vehicle accidents happen and accident benefits are available to anyone involved in a motor vehicle accident regardless of who caused the accident. The personal injury and accident lawyers at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers have been dealing with all accident related issues throughout Ontario for over 50 years. We know how to get you the compensation that you deserve and get your life back in order after being in a car accident. Call us at 416-920-4242, set up a free consultation, and come speak with us.

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